Welcome To The War
by BlackHowling77
Summary: “And while it may seem somewhat far-fetched, know that everything imaginable exists somewhere, somehow. There can be no impossibilities if our universe is truly infinite.” She gave him a hesitant smile. "If you can believe that, then I can protect you.”
1. Prologue: The Calm Before The Storm

A/N: I really don't know if this is going to work, but I'm going to give it a try anyway. lol. It's a supernatural fic. With werewolves and other cool creatures. But I don't know. (nervous laugh).

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His blue eyes scanned over the newspaper in his hands. Most of the occasion, he hated the schools new "Read to Succeed" program. It consisted of reading every Wednesday morning for twenty minutes in second period, considering first was only homeroom and thirty minutes long. Most of the time, kids did their homework for the day's classes…most of the time.

But on the rare occasion that the paper actually had something interesting in it, the students would actually do what they were supposed to be doing…read. Like today, where Troy Bolton was neglecting his unfinished AP Calculus homework for the front-page article.

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**Third Mauling Shocks Albuquerque**

ALBUQUERQUE -- Pamela Smart went home after attending one of her children's high school board meetings yesterday night to find her 35 year-old husband, Berry Smart, dead in the kitchen. In a police statement released earlier this morning, officers at the scene reported that Berry Smith had apparently been ripped completely in half. Claw marks were found on the walls and counters in the kitchen. The back door had also been ripped off its hinges and the prints that had been found at the scene have now been identified as paw prints. As rare as the situations sounds, the killers have been identified as a large pack of wild wolves, possible five to seven in number. Though specialists are still trying to figure out how the wolves managed to get inside the house and tear a human in half, they are not denying that it's possible. Albuquerque police have linked Berry Smarts mauling to two others that have occurred earlier this month. 22 year-old Lindsey Walsh and 47 year-old Mike Rowan had also been found mauled to death in their homes with injuries matching Berry Smart's. With the third consecutive attack under observation, police have taken to the woods. "We have to find and stop these wild animals before they cause more harm to the community," Said Lieutenant Deputy Lincoln Marsh to the press. Albuquerque police reported that the death has been ruled as an attack by the pack of wolves and that Berry Smart died of massive blood loss from several severed arteries. An autopsy was performed by State Medical Examiner Tom Carry, police said, and Albuquerque police are continuing the investigation. "If we don't find the pack soon," said Lieutenant Deputy Marsh, "we might have to take greater steps to protect the public, like enforcing an earlier curfew. We know the public wont like it, but they have to understand that it's our job to protect them."

* * *

Troy shook his head, setting down the paper. _What is the world coming to?_ The bell sounded and he stood, slinging his JanSport backpack over his shoulder. He stepped out into the halls of East High, the red and white banners entering his vision. If he hadn't spent his full time at East High, the school would have seen monstrous, but now in his forth year, every hallway felt like home. The smile on his face widened as he found Chad making his way towards him, squeezing through the crowded hallway. 

"What's up?" Chad's hand found his as his friend's curly hair bounced. "You finish that AP Calculus homework?"

"No," Troy answered as they started heading towards their lockers. "I actually read an article in the newspaper." He gave a small laugh when Chad's mouth dropped open his eyes going wide as he gave Troy a teasing smile, "I know," Troy said shoving him, "shocker right."

"I will confess captain," Chad stuck his head in the air, putting a hand over his chest as they rounded a corner, "I to read the newspaper today."

"The one about the pack of wolves killing that man?" Troy asked as they both stopped in front of their lockers.

"Yup," Chad answered swapping his US/VA Government book for his AP Calculus book, "Though, I'm more worried about the curfew. I have things to do at night."

"I know," Troy answered swapping books as well, "I agree with you buddy."

"Still," Chad said, a grim frown on his face, "A pack of wolves attacking people," the dark teen let a shiver run through his body, "scary."

"It couldn't have been wolves," the strong, but shy voice made both of the teens turned, Troy's smile widening. Gabriella stood next to Taylor, her backpack slung over her shoulder. Taylor's signature backpack on wheels rested at a stop behind them.

"Why not?" Chad asked, zipping up his backpack and slinging his arm around Taylor's shoulder.

"Wolves don't attack humans," she answered flat out as Troy walked forward, draping his arm over her shoulder as well. Her hand reached up, threading her fingers through his as they started walking. "They're more scared of us than we are of them."

"Sometimes fear brings out aggression," Chad put in, lifting up his eyebrows. He was teasing her and Gabriella smiled at the challenge.

"Or sometimes you just accuse the wrong person," Gabriella shot back. Troy knew she was only playing, the smile on her face assured him of that, but there was defensiveness in her voice that made him wonder. His hand tightened around hers and she glanced into his eyes. He mouthed 'are you ok' and she smiled, inclining her head slightly. He still didn't buy it, but he left it be.

"I agree with Gabriella," Taylor said. "I mean. Wolves can't rip off doors from their hinges, the cops are missing something."

"Well," Chad sighed, his body language saying he was defeated. "If my girlfriend doesn't even agree with me, then I guess I have to give in."

"Gabriella Montez: one," Troy said with a smile, "Chad Danforth: zero."

"Rub it in," Chad sarcastically smiled.

He gave Troy a smile as they stopped in front of Mr. Plots AP Calculus class. Although it had been a great year, Troy had no one in his first period US/VA government class. Gabriella and Taylor had been gifted with the same first period, Chad even had Jason, but Troy had no one. It was probably the only reason why he liked AP Calculus, he had friends.

Troy turned his blue eyes to Gabriella; "I'll see you at lunch." He leaned in for a kiss, her lips meeting his.

"See you then," she said smiling, turning to head off to her AP Bio II class.

Chad's hands pushed him into the classroom as the bell sounded and the duo found their regular seats in the back. Troy plopped down in his seat, Chad following suite. They both brought out their textbook and opened them, the regular ritual of making it look like they were actually going to doing something.

"So, you think they did it?" Chad asked in a low voice as Mr. Plot started notes.

"Who?" Troy asked while writing down the equation on the board.

"The wolves," Chad answered, "or do you think it's some psychotic serial killer?"

'I don't know," Troy answered, shrugging his shoulders. "The article did say that they found paw prints and claw marks in the house, but I don't think wolves can knock a door off its hinges, let alone rip someone in half."

"True," Chad nodded his head, his pen scribbling on his paper. "Have you ever heard of any wolves in Albuquerque before?"

"Not in the city," Troy answered, "But I'm sure there around somewhere. I mean, we **are** in New Mexico and wolves are kind of considered sacred by the Native American tribes here."

"Good point, I never thought about it like that before," Chad confessed, growing quiet as Mr. Plot made his timely round of the classroom.

"So, to answer your question," Troy spoke as Mr. Plot returned to his desk. "No, I don't think it was a pack of wolves."

Chad gave him a sidelong glance, eyebrows raised, "Psychotic serial killer?"

"Psychotic serial killer," Troy answered with a nod of his head.

"Sweet," the smile on Chad's face made Troy laugh, drawing the attention of Mr. Plot.

"Troy," the older man's eyebrows were raised, "Do you know how to find the zeros and discriminates of this function?"

"Umm, no sir." Troy answered trying not to turn red. Chad had his head buried in his hands on his desk, his body shaking with silent laughs.

"Well then, I suggest that you pay attention," he turned back to the board and started writing.

"Yes sir," Trot sank in his desk seat, his pen going to his paper. The bell rang forty-five minutes later, Troy's brain shot. It was the first time in a long time that he had paid attention and he wondered why he had taken AP Calculus in the first place. He was good at math…but not **that** good.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Chad placed a hand on his shoulder. "You ready to go to lunch and then home?" Being seniors, they could control their class load for their last year of high school. In doing so, the four close friends had only five classes, having already completed the required amount to graduate. Although Troy had been told that on a college application, taking the minimum amount of classes looked tacky, it was fun leaving right after lunch.

"Yeah, lunch sounds good," he nodded as the descended the stairs to the cafeteria. 'I'm starving."

"I'm so hungry," Chad placed a hand on his stomach, whining.

"I know," Troy placed his hand on the top of Chad head, rustling his curly hair. "Lets get you some food."

They found their regular table, Gabriella and Taylor already seated. Jason and Kelsi had also joined them, although the both of them had one more class after lunch.

"You really need to go see it," Taylor said to Gabriella, Kelsi nodding her head in agreement. "It really is a good movie."

"I don't know," Gabriella was hesitant. "I normally don't like scary movies."

"It's not scary," Kelsi assured.

Gabriella eyed them curiously, "But I thought you said you jumped like half the time watching it."

"There's a big difference between scary and suspenseful," Taylor explained. "I Am Legend is not scary, it's suspenseful."

"That was the best movie I've ever seen," Chad exclaimed taking a seat next to Taylor. "Will Smith needs to get an award for acting like that. I almost cried."

"You cried?" Gabriella gave him a playful grin.

"Almost," Chad said, lifting up a finger. "Keyword in that sentence: almost."

"I haven't seen it," Troy confessed, taking his usual seat next to Gabriella. The twos hands automatically found one another's, their fingers threading together.

"Well there you go," Taylor said, opening her had towards Troy. "You can go with Troy."

He watched as she turned her chocolate eyes to him. He gave her a small smile, only her seeing the reassurance in his eyes. She nodded her head, "Ok, I'll go see it."

"Tomorrow night?" he asked, his hand tightening around hers.

"Why not, " she sighed, caving. "I need to get this over with."

"Yes!" Taylor smiled as the lunch bell sounded. The group sighed and stood, parting ways with Jason and Kelsi as they headed towards the exit of the school. Troy unzipped his backpack, still walking, and pulled out his navy blue Hollister sweatshirt, he could feel the cold seeping in through the exit doors.

"See ya Mrs. Porter," he waved to the security guard stationed at the attendance desk.

"You take it easy this weekend Troy," she smiled and waved back.

"I will," he inclined his head as he opened the door, the temperature automatically dropping. He shivered under his sweatshirt, Gabriella wrapping both of her arms around one of his. The doors behind them opened again, two more seniors exiting the school to freedom.

"It's going to rain," Gabriella stated, almost to herself as she looked up to the sky dark sky.

"What?" Troy smiled and looked to the sky as well. It was cloudy, but they weren't rain clouds.

She gave a small laugh, shaking her head, "Nothing."

"No, tell me," he persisted as they walked towards the parked cars.

"You won't laugh?" she asked, her mouth twisted up into a smile.

"No," he promised, "I won't laugh."

She took a deep breath, shrugging her shoulders, "I can always feel when it's about to rain. I can smell it. Something in the air changes and I can just…tell."

"Weirdo," Chad insulted from next to Taylor, a smile on his face.

"Crybaby," Gabriella shot back, getting a laugh from Taylor and a wide grin from Troy.

"Gabriella Montez: two," Chad dropped his head as Troy spoke, throwing a curse into the ground, "Chad Danforth: zero."

"I really suck at this game," Chad smiled and then waved as him and Taylor kept walking towards their parked cars.

"You think I'm crazy," Gabriella turned to Troy, her eyes soft as they stopped in front of her dark blue Honda Civic.

"No," he reached up to stroke her cheek with his right hand. "I think you're the most beautiful girl in the world." He leaned in and kissed her. He smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

"Get a room!" Troy vaguely heard Chad yell, but he paid no attention to his best friend. All that mattered was Gabriella and the moment.

She drew away a second later, her hands still wrapped around his neck as she tilted her head to the sky, "Here it comes."

He looked up, his eyes scrunching together. He waited, then, a raindrop hit him square in the eye, then another, and another. Soon, the entire sky was filled with rain and Troy's mouth hung open. He looked to Gabriella and she flashed him a confident smile.

"Told you," she teased, touching her forehead to his.

He smiled as her black hair formed to her face, "meet you at the movie theater next to my house?"

"Tomorrow night? Somewhere close to 9:00?" she asked, the rain pelting down on their shoulders.

"Yeah," he smiled as she dropped her arms and heading towards her front car door. He stuck his hands in his pockets as she gave him one last smile before sliding into her car. He waited for her to back out, tilting his head back and staring at the dark sky. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he let the cold rain pour down on his shoulders.

He smiled, blue eyes shining. Gabriella Montez completely amazed him.

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A/N: I'll update the next chapter sometime tomorrow! I know it was kind of dull, but its just the beggining! 

Review! (the little button down there)


	2. The Truth

_LAST TIME-_

_"Tomorrow night? Somewhere close to 9:00?" she asked, the rain pelting down on their shoulders._

_"Yeah," he smiled as she dropped her arms and heading towards her front car door. He stuck his hands in his pockets as she gave him one last smile before sliding into her car. He waited for her to back out, tilting his head back and staring at the dark sky. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he let the cold rain pour down on his shoulders._

_He smiled, blue eyes shining. Gabriella Montez completely amazed him._

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

His arms were crossed across his chest as he leaned against his green Ford truck. He watched as his breath puffed out in front of him and he pulled his jacket tighter over his sweatshirt. He rolled his shoulders, shifting uncomfortably as he looked around. He hated being this close to West High, any number of kids could recognize him, and after what happened last year in basketball, he didn't think he would be greeted to kindly. That's why he hardly ever went to see movies.

Sadly enough, the only movie theater close to his house was the one he was standing in front of, the bright lights blinding him and illuminating the parking lot. He glanced down to the watch on his wrist and sighed out loud. He cracked his knuckles, his mind racing over the time. _9:05._

But in order for him to enjoy the move, his other half had to be present and he sighed out loud again. _Where the hell is she?! She's never late!_ He pushed himself off the side of his car door; he might as well get the tickets before they sold out. He laughed at the thought, there were hardly any cars in the parking lot. Maybe the article in the newspaper was actually getting to people.

He glanced over his shoulder as he walked forward towards the box office, the green eyed teen behind the glass giving him a suspicious look. Troy hoped to God that he wasn't recognized, that would stir trouble that he didn't want to deal with.

"Two for I Am Legend," he said to the teen, his hands reaching for his wallet in his back pocket. He watched as the green eyes shifted behind him, looking for the owner of the second ticket.

"The 9:20 showing?" the green eyed employee asked in a monotone voice.

"Yeah," Troy answered handing over a twenty. He watched as the teller accepted the money and then stiffened. The hair on his arms where standing on end as the young man titled his head up towards the sky and sniffed. Troy's head tilted to the side, his eyes scrunching together in confusion. The man was sniffing like a dog, as if he could smell something in the air.

"You ok?" Troy asked. The young man uttered an apology before handing over the change. Troy turned and started walking towards his truck; it wasn't until he actually looked up that he stopped. He let out a heavy sigh as he found the three teens hovering around the vehicle.

The oldest of the men was sitting on the hood of the Ford, a sinister smile on his angular face. His dark brown eyes were almost black in the night, his hair a short messy brown. Troy could just barley see the light scar that ran across his right eyebrow. The other two, Troy barley recalled as being on the West High basketball team, though they hadn't made much of an impression for him to remember them.

"Troy Bolton," the one with dark eyes spoke from the hood of the truck. "What are you doing so far from home?"

"I'm just here to see a movie, Landon Fury," Troy addressed the Captain of the East High basketball team, holding up a hand; "I don't want any trouble and I live only a few blocks from here."

"You should have though about that before crossing over into East High territory, even if your house is so close to us." Landon smiled as he hoped from his seat and made his was towards Troy.

"Come on man," Troy rolled his eyes, an annoyed sigh escaping his lips. "It's the closes theater to my house."

Landon ignored him and started circling, "And who's going with you?"

"No one," Troy answered almost to fast, Landon's eyebrows rising.

"Then why did you buy two tickets?" Troy cursed himself mentally. "Is your pretty little girlfriend going to show up?" Troy's anger flared as the two groupies behind Landon wolf whistled, looking around, excited smiles plastered across their faces.

"I don't have time for this," Troy said in an irritated voice, walking past the three men and reaching for his car handle. He was almost expecting the push in the back, but his blue eyes went wide when the force knocked him off his feet. Troy went flying deeper into the parking lot, a parked car meeting his back as he slid to a stop.

He watched as the smile on Landon's face grew as he dropped his outstretched hands, approaching Troy. "You might not have time for this, but I do." The brunette shrugged, "I haven't had fun in a while and kicking your ass will make me feel better. Payback for what you did to us in the championships."

Landon advanced, his two buddies flanking him. Troy heard knuckles crack before something foreign washed over the still parking lot. Whatever it was, Landon stiffened, his head shooting up to look over Troy's. Troy glanced up as well, but he was practically under the cars back bumper and couldn't see anything. But he felt and heard it. Whatever it was had jumped onto the back of the car, the end dropping slightly as nails clanked on the thin metal.

Troy didn't know what he had expected to jump down, but he could now recognize the noise, it was a low snarl. And just like that, a snow-white wolf leapt off the back trunk and landed in between him and the three advancing men. If Troy had had room to scoot back, he would have, but he was met again with the back of the parked car.

Mostly, when people are scared, they scream, but Troy Bolton doesn't scream. Instead, he doses something that'll probably get him in a lot of trouble later on in life. He freezes. Instead of screaming for help, his body rejects any commands from his brain. He freezes, his muscle contracting, his body pulling itself closer together in the hope that whatever was in front of him, doesn't see him.

This time was no different. His body froze and he sat gaping at the wolf for a good thirty-second, his blue eyes wide, and his chin almost touching the ground. It was large, larger than what wolves looked like in textbooks, and its fur was the purest of white snow. Its flowing tail was long enough to touch the ground, but it curved at the last second, so it wouldn't get dirty. He could see the strong shoulders, the muscular legs and calves. The body was lean, but big enough to do damage if you pissed it off enough. And don't even get him started on the claws. The newspaper article flashed through his mind, and for one second he thought he might be looking at the culprit of the killings. _There really are wolves in Albuquerque._

He looked to Landon and a stronger sense of confusion washed over him. The fear and surprise he was expecting to see in the captains dark eyes wasn't present, instead, there was an overwhelming excitement. But his two buddies were less confident, taking a step backwards as the wolf stared them down.

Landon stepped forward hesitantly with a smile on his face, testing the wolf. He receded when his actions triggered a deep and body-freezing snarl; the animal's ears flattening against its head as its gums rose, baring its finger length canines.

"Interesting," the smile rose and Landon reached into his back pocket, withdrawing a switchblade. The wolf's ears perked up, dancing around as the knife was flipped open, but it snarled again, ears going flat against its head, almost like it recognized the weapon.

After the snarl, the wolf turned its head and looked Troy square in the eyes. His breath escaped him as he found dark brown, no, chocolate eyes locking with his blue ones, and he had the deepest feeling that he had seen them before. They were soft, pure, and he knew the wolf would not hurt him. It gave a small yip, and Troy could have sworn it inclined its head, telling him to get away and escape. He watched as it blinked, then the head inclined again, only this time instead of a yip, it gave an impatient growl. He shot to his feet, not wanting to be mauled on the spot and backed away from the small group.

Landon took a step forward, trying to cut off his escape, but the wolf's head snapped around and the captain stopped dead in his tracks. The wolf snarled, taking a slow step forward as it bared its fangs again.

"Don't get in my way," Landon's voice was calm as he raised the small switchblade to challenge the wolf, but Troy could hear the darkness behind it. Troy was loosing his mind. First Landon, the captain of the West High knights confronts him and the boy shows strength Troy had never seen before. Then, his rescuer turned out to be a snow-white wolf, which might be connected to three murders in the middle of Albuquerque. He gave a heavy sigh, he knew he had rotten luck, but never this bad. His body automatically stared backing away as the wolf and Landon started circling each other, the two buddies falling behind their captain.

Troy turned and ran as Landon thrust forward with the knife. Troy almost smiled when he heard the captain let out a painful scream. It was hard not to picture what the man looked like with a wolf latched onto his arm. The smile dropped from his face; however; when the wolf let out a long, painful yelp. His body froze without him thinking and his head whipped around, blue eyes wide.

The wolf was hopping backwards, its front right leg bent up underneath its body. A long gash ran along its right shoulder as it snarled at Landon. He watched as Landon lunged forward again, the switchblade looking for more of the wolf's blood. With swiftness that it shouldn't have had, the wolf dodged. It ducked under the arm and its front pawns pounded down on Landon's chest, nails digging in as the force and weight of the wolf sent both of them to the ground. Its sharp teeth found the brunettes knife arm again and he screamed, dropping the weapon.

In that moment, the two men who had been watching the whole ordeal, streaked forward. One of them, a man with short, spiked blond hair and blue eyes kicked the wolf in the stomach and it rolled away, sliding to its three paws, its front right leg receding underneath its belly again. The next man, who was shorter and meatier than the first, pulled Landon to his feet.

"We gotta get out of her man!" he started pulling Landon away as the blond haired teen joined him.

"The next time we meet Walker," Landon's voice was dark, his grin turning feral as he clutched his bleeding arm, his eyes connecting with the wolf's. "I will kill you."

The wolf snarled in reply, licking its lips and baring its teeth as the group in front of it turned and left. Troy ducked behind a parked car as the wolf looked around, its chocolate eyes scanning its surroundings. He heard a small whimper, and pictured the wolf trying to put pressure on its injured leg. Painful cries washed over the now silent parking lot and he peaked over the car to get a better look. He just managed to see the tail end of the wolf vanish behind a parked car, and despite his better judgment, Troy followed. He wanted to know where it had come from and where it was going.

Later, he would curse his curiosity.

He glanced down to the asphalt as he walked through the battle zone. Blood was splattered everywhere, and he could tell where the wolf had been cut and where it had sank its teeth into Landon's arm. He shook his head as the faint cries of the wolf met his ears and he started following again. Even if the wolf got to far away, he could always follow the blood trail it was leaving behind.

He followed the trail for a good ten minutes, until it finally turned right into a dark alleyway. He turned the corner and two things happened at once. First, his breath caught, his throat closing and cutting off all air supply. Second, his mouth fell completely open, his blue eyes opening so wide that he feared they might fall out. He shook his head, looking away, because the scene in front of him couldn't be happening.

A body sat against the alley wall. Her head was tilted back, her black shoulder length black hair a tangled mess around her sweat drenched face. Her white long-sleeved shirt was sticking to her tired body. The knees of her jeans were ripped open. He didn't understand, but he turned his head back anyway, hesitantly taking a step into the alley. His action caused her to drag her eyes open and she looked right at him. A deep gash ran along her right shoulder and across her collarbone, the blood flowing into her white shirt, dying it red.

He knelt next to her, his hand reaching for her dirty cheek. Even though he had no idea what was going on, his heart was breaking at the sight of her pain.

She tried to talk, but her voice was gone, her energy ebbing away. But yet, her eyes held fear and she tried to shift away from him.

"Shhh," Troy said, never taking his hand away from her cheek. "Shhh. You'll be all right now. I've got you safe."

He went to move her right arm, but she hissed through her teeth, and he let it go. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and she blinked slowly, a small, relaxed smile crawling across her tired face.

Troy Bolton was staring into the chocolate eyes of **his** Gabriella Montez.

**.-.-.-Insert Dramatic Music-.-.-.**

**(Review! You Like?)**


	3. Explanations

_LAST TIME-_

"_Shhh," Troy said, never taking his hand away from her cheek. "Shhh. You'll be all right now. I've got you safe."_

_He went to move her right arm, but she hissed through her teeth, and he let it go. He stroked her cheek with his thumb and she blinked slowly, a small, relaxed smile crawling across her tired face._

_Troy Bolton was staring into the chocolate eyes of __**his**__ Gabriella Montez._

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"You shouldn't…have followed…me," her voice was weak, pained. His blue eyes went wide. So, she really was the white wolf, but he shook the thought from his mind, he had more important things to deal with. His hand skimmed over her injured shoulder, the bleeding had stopped surprisingly fast, but the wound was deep. He moved her hand away from her stomach, lifting up her sweaty shirt. A bruise was showing on her side, but that wasn't what had caught his attention.

His blue eyes went wide as he stared at her tattoo. He didn't remember her having one, but it was there, clear as day. His fingers reached out, tracing the wolf paw print etched around her belly button.

She gave a small laugh, "…that tickles."

His eyes went soft as he remembered their situation. "I have to get you out of here." He reached for her, his arms sliding across her shoulders. He lifted her up bridal style, grunting a little with the effort.

"What are you…trying to say?" there was a small smile on her face as she teased him.

"That you're heavier than you look," he smiled and looked down. She gave him a slight nod before her eyes closed. She went limp in his arms and he tightened his hold on her. He looked down at her passive face; she had a lot of explaining to do.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

It was a scary feeling, waking up and having no idea where you where. Gabriella shifted under the covers of the bed, her eyes snapping open. She sat up fast…to fast. Her head swam and her chest burned. She dropped backwards, her head hitting the comfortable pillow. She groaned, her stomach churning.

"How are you?" She looked towards the door to the room that wasn't her own. She first saw his deep blue eyes and then the events of the previous night flashed through her head. She groaned again, placing a hand on her forehead.

"I see your shoulders better." Troy walked in, shutting the door quietly behind him. He had a white bowl filled with water, a white rag draped over his forearm.

She rolled her right shoulder, feeling the unseen bandages tighten around it, "I'll be fine tomorrow."

"And how is that possible?" He sat in the chair next to the bed, wetting the rag. He leaned forward, placing the now wet rag on her forehead. "That gash was deep enough to see your collarbone."

"I heal fast," she answered shutting her eyes, the cold rag making her head clear. It had been forever since she'd changed and she'd forgotten how sick it could make her.

"Then why where you burning up last night?" She was surprised when his hand wrapped around hers.

She sighed and closed her eyes. He had already seen her, so she could necessarily deny it, "My body hadn't…changed in a while…it just wasn't used to it."

"So what," Troy was trying to understand, "you're like," he paused, his eyes scrunching together, "a werewolf?"

She gave a small laugh at the question, her hand reaching for her bruised ribs, "No, I'm not a werewolf."

He relaxed, "Then, what…" he paused; contemplating the question he was about to ask her. She was going to get made, but he had to ask, he had to know, "…Are you?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" her eyes grew small at the question; her head jerking back as if insulted. She grabbed the rag from her forehead and threw it at him. "I'm human."

"I didn't mean it like that," he put up his hands, catching the rag and defending himself. He wouldn't have liked the question either. But he could see it in her eyes that she wasn't angry, she was disappointed with herself for being so careless.

"I know," she sighed, closing her tired eyes. "It's just, no one's supposed to know, that I can…" she trailed off, turning her head to look out the window.

"...Change..." Troy finished and she nodded her head slightly. His hand went forward to wrap around hers, his fingers threading through hers.

"You have to understand, Troy," her chocolate eyes looked back to him, "It's against the rules to show anyone outside the family my," she paused, "other self. It just creates more trouble."

"Rules?" Troy questioned, eyebrows squishing together. "Gabriella, you have to tell me what's going on."

"No." Her eyes turned serious, her voice firm. She pulled her hand away from his, her jaw clenching. "I don't."

"I just can't forget what I saw last night!" he turned his body to face her, resting his forearms on his thighs.

"You must." she sat up straighter. "Please, Troy. For your own safety, you have to. I don't want you to get involved."

"For my own safety? Get involved?" he moved form the chair to the bed in one swift motion, sitting closer to her. "What are you talking about?"

Her jaw clenched, her eyes searching the bed sheets as a mental battle raged in her head. "Do you want to know the truth, Troy Bolton?" he went to say yes, but she held up a hand, "Don't answer quickly. Once I tell you, there is no turning back; you'll be a part of it as much as I am…Think about it."

He looked into her eyes and found that she was serious. It then occurred to him that he had no idea who Gabriella Montez really was. The sweet, innocent girl was just the cover. On the inside, she was strong, independent, and from what he had seen last night, able to change into a wolf. In that moment, he realized that all that didn't matter; he wanted to know, he loved her, and would stand by her and face anything she would face.

"Tell me everything," he said after two minutes of silence.

Her eyes softened; "Very well," she shifted in the bed to get more comfortable. "I'm in the middle of a war," she tilted her head and glanced at him, "now you are to."

He blinked, "A war?" it wasn't the answer he was expecting but she nodded her head, "Between who?"

"My race and the werewolves," she answered, her arms folding across her chest.

He gaped at her and waited for an explanation. She stayed silent and a small smile crawled across his face. So, she would answer only the questions he asked. It was a smart plan, really. Mostly people just spilled their guts, giving their loved ones more information than they needed. But just by answering asked question, Gabriella could control the information he received. She was smart; it was one of the characteristics he loved so much.

"And your race would be?" he asked, sighing. The question felt awkward in his mouth.

"I am a Walker," she answered and then grew silent again.

"Like a skinwalker?" he had heard the old legends, but only because they lived in New Mexico and the Native American tribes where so abundant.

"No," she answered, giving a small smile. "Though it is a common misconception. For starters, I'm from the wrong tribe. My father's Lakota from South Dakota; skinwalkers are from the Navajo tribes here in New Mexico."

"What's the difference?" they sounded like the same things to him.

"Skinwalkers have to wear the skin of the animal they change into, usually a coyote or wolf," Troy tried to picture a man, now a days, walking around with a dead wolf pelt on his shoulders. "When I change into a wolf, I don't need a skin or - like werewolves - the moon. When I'm a wolf, I look just like any other wolf,"

"So, what exactly is a…" he paused, his eyes scrunching together, the word feeling funny in his mouth. "…Walker?"

"It's a Native American shapeshifter," she answered.

He nodded his head in uncertain understanding, "Right."

She saw his hesitation, "you don't believe me," her eyebrows quirked up when he went to deny it, "I can see it in your eyes."

He shrugged his shoulders, moving to lie down next to her; "It's just…" he searched for the right word, "difficult to believe. I mean, Walkers and werewolves." He gave her a crooked smile, tilting his head up to her.

"I know," she looked down at him with questioning eyes. "And yet you aren't freaking out?"

"I think I would have freaked out if I hadn't seen what you did last night," he confessed, putting his hands behind his head. "That, more or less convinced me that something was up. That something was different."

"I'm still Gabriella," he glanced up into her dark eyes, and saw fear. She was afraid he wouldn't still love her. He had to admit, it wasn't easy to accept, but he had seen it with his own two eyes, and there was no denying that.

"I know you are," he reached up and stroked her cheek. "And the wolf does you justice, you're beautiful." He paused, another crooked smile crawling across his face, "The tattoos a nice touch to. How is that, anyways?"

She blushed, her hand reaching for her belly button, "You saw that?" she groaned as he nodded and laughed. She looked back to him and he could tell she was trying to remember something from the past. "I got really sick when I was little…deathly sick. My father healed me, it's the one thing Walkers can do. He transferred his power into me so that I had enough strength to heal myself."

"So the tattoo," Troy looked into her eyes, "is your father's paw print?"

She nodded and he smiled. "That's so…cool!"

She blushed as another question surfaced in his mind, his eyebrows furrowing, "The wolf attacks in the paper the other day. Does that have anything to do with you?"

"Yes and no," she answered.

He saw the pain in her eyes and he sat up straighter, "You knew him, didn't you."

She sighed, "Yes," then paused, her voice just above a whisper. "Berry Smart was my guardian."

"Guardian?" he tilted his head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"My father is the Alpha of the Walkers," she answered.

"Which tribes?" He asked, vaguely aware that being the Alpha of a group of people normally meant you were the Boss or something like that.

"All of them," she confessed with a hopeless laugh as Troy's head jerked back. She continued, "There really aren't a lot of us left, the werewolves have made sure of that."

"They hunt you?" Troy asked another question. He had to figure out as much as he could. "That's what The War is?"

"Yes," she answered, shifting uncomfortable under the sheets. "That's why I've moved so much. They come after me because I'm his daughter."

"But why," he was a little confused; "do they hunt you?"

"It's been so long, I don't really remember what started The War anymore," she gave a hopeless sigh. "The whole thing started way before I was born," she continued. "Werewolves have this overwhelming sense of dominance; they have to be the superior species. But when the Walkers started to surface, we threatened their rule. I mean, we looked so much like them and we were almost as strong as they were…" she trailed off.

"They were scared of you," Troy stated.

"They wouldn't put it like that," she smiled. "But yeah, you could say that."

"So the recent killings," he was trying to make sense of the situation. "All of them were Walkers? And the werewolves are killing them to get to you and then to your father?"

"Yes," she glanced down to her cloths for the first time, her face burning. "Who changed my cloths?"

"Taylor did," he answered quickly, his face turning red. "Your other ones were ruined."

He watched as she stiffened, her eyes shooting around the unfamiliar room, "Where are we?"

"Chad's," he answered, propping himself up on his elbows, "His parents are out of town for a couple of days, some trip they won through his dad work, or something like that."

She groaned, "I can't get anyone else involved, Troy!"

"What?" he stammered, then explained. "You were bleeding all over the place! I wasn't going to take you to the hospital because I wasn't sure if you could go there. I couldn't take you to my house, because how the hell was I going to explain **that** to my parents. So I brought you here. No parents. No questions. No problems."

"I've already got you involved," she was irritated. "I'm not going to put anymore of my friends in danger!"

"Were you planning on keeping this whole thing a secret forever?" he was standing beside the bed. "I would rather know what was coming than be completely blindsided by it," he watched as she turned her head away from him, her jaw clenching. "You're going to have to tell them sooner or later. If the werewolves follow you, then not telling your friends will put them in more danger then actually telling them."

She tilted her head back until it hit the wooden headboard. She sighed, "I'll think about it."

He nodded his head, taking a seat back on the bed. "I've been thinking…."

"That could be dangerous," she insulted and he gave her a lopsided grim. She inclined her head, "Continue."

"That if you aren't supposed to show people," he paused, "your other self, why did you change last night? You could have just run up and threatened to call the cops."

The question made her face pale and he could feel her body stiffen. She was hiding something, something that had her scared out of her mind. "I had to protect you."

It wasn't the answer he was looking for, so he continued, "I could have handled him."

She shook her head, "As soon as I smelled it, I turned wolf, you were in far more danger than you could have handled."

"Smelled what," he felt awkward asking her what she had smelled, but he guessed wolves had a good sense of smell.

She turned to him, her eyes looking deep into his, "Landon Fury," he gave her a questioning look and she clenched her jaw, "is a werewolf, Troy. He was there to kill you."

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**(Review!)**


	4. Berserker

_LAST TIME-_

_It wasn't the answer he was looking for, so he continued, "I could have handled him."_

_She shook her head, "As soon as I smelled it, I turned wolf, you were in far more danger than you could have handled."_

"_Smelled what," he felt awkward asking her what she had smelled, but he guessed wolves had a good sense of smell._

_She turned to him, her eyes looking deep into his, "Landon Fury," he gave her a questioning look and she clenched her jaw, "is a werewolf, Troy. He was there to kill you."_

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Troy cocked his head to the side. He fought the strong urge to give a startled laugh. "Landon Fury, a werewolf," he smiled, denying the information. "You've got to be joking. I've know him since he moved here two years ago."

He was startled when her eyes grew together, small and angry. "Don't mock me, Troy. I can smell a werewolf a mile away. I am never wrong."

"You're serious." He paled when her eyes turned grim. His head jerked back, "Wait. You moved here two years ago, and I remembered when he came. It was only like two months after you."

"Exactly, Troy," she was staring at him. "Landon Fury's father is the one who is hunting me and my family."

"Then why was he going to kill me?" Troy asked, then his face lost more color. "However flattered I am by my revelation…he went after me because of you."

Gabriella nodded her head grimly, a frown on her face, "yes."

The two fell into silence. He could see her shift uncomfortable under his gaze. He sighed, "now you defiantly have to tell Chad and Taylor."

"What?" her eyes grew big as he rolled off the bed.

"You need to tell them," he repeated. "If Landon's coming after your loved ones, they need to be warned."

"Troy," she pulled off the covers of the bed, moving awkwardly to her feet. "I can't."

"Well, then you better think of a good explanation fast," he went to open the door. "Because I'm calling them in." He heard a low growl from behind him and he turned. A small smile crawled across his face as he found the white wolf on Chad's bed. She was baring her teeth at him, but he could see fear in her deep chocolate eyes. There were bandages wrapped around her front right shoulder, almost identical to the one's Taylor had wrapped around Gabriella. "Well, that's one was to show them."

She whined, but he ignored her, "Chad! Taylor!"

He backed away from the door as Gabriella whined again. He looked back and watched as she covered her face with her tail, burying deeper into her soft fur.

"You'll be fine," he reached forward and scratched the top of her head as her ears flattened. "Don't worry."

"Coming," Chad's voice echoed throughout the house. Gabriella stood and started walking circles on the bed, small whines escaping her slightly open mouth. Troy heard two pairs of footsteps coming down the stairs. Gabriella settled down and circled up into a ball as the door to the bedroom opened.

"What's up Troy?" Chad asked walking obliviously into the room. It was only when Taylor entered after him that he looked up. "What the hell!" The curly haired teen jumped, his back slamming against the wall.

"Oh my god!" Taylor screamed, her hand shooting up to point at the wolf.

Gabriella whimpered and Troy shot to his feet, his hands outstretched in front of him. "Calm down, calm down."

"What are you talking about, man?!" Chad looked at him like he was crazy. "There's a wolf on my parents bed!"

Troy closed his eyes and sighed. He had to convince Taylor first. If he could convince her then Chad would follow. "Taylor, just look. That's all I'm asking you to do. Just look at her."

"Troy, what is going on?" her eyes were wide. "Where's Gabriella?"

"You know the answer to that," Troy responded taking a step away from the bed. "Just look. That's all I'm asking."

Taylor straightened, her eyes scrunching together. She took a hesitant step forward and Gabriella removed her tail from covering her face. Troy smiled as Taylor sucked in a breath, her eyes falling on the deep chocolate eyes of the white wolf.

"Taylor," Chad warned.

She shrugged him off and reached out her hand. Her head cocked to the side as Gabriella crawled forward. Taylor crouched and touched the bandages, "I remember putting theses on…" she whispered and Gabriella whined. Taylor caught her breath, "…Gabriella?"

The wolf yipped and stood up. Taylor drew back and Chad pulled her to her feet. "Gabriella?" he asked stunned, "It's not possible."

Gabriella hopped off the bed, limping until she came right next to Troy. It was then that the strangest thing happened. A white light radiated from Gabriella, it wasn't bright, but Troy had the strongest urge to close his eyes. He covered his eyes with his hands and when he dropped it, Gabriella was standing where the wolf had been. She swayed on her feet and Troy grabbed her by the shoulders, steadying her.

"I'm so out of practice," she whispered, her hand moving up to her forehead.

"What? The? Hell?" Chad stammered, his wide eyes threatening to fall out of his head.

Gabriella gave her two friends a weak smile, shrugging her shoulders, "surprise."

"_That_ is defiantly an understatement," Taylor said, though she looked like she was accepting the current situation. It was similar to the way Troy had accepted. He hadn't really been given a choice; it was just kind of dropped on him to the point where he had to believe.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," Gabriella walked forward, taking both of Taylor's hands in hers.

"No, girl," Taylor gave her a hesitant smile. "I can defiantly see why you didn't tell us earlier."

"I'm so sorry Taylor," the two girls hugged. "We just need to get out of here before they pick up our trail."

"Who?" Chad asked as the doorbell rang. The four friends grew silent, the eyes shifting to the open door that lead into the hallway. The doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it," Chad said pushing himself off the wall and strolling out of the room. Troy shifted his gaze to Gabriella, who in turn locked eyes with him.

"Hey, Chad," Troy headed for the door, Taylor and Gabriella following. "Wait up."

Taylor's hand was wrapped tightly around Gabriella's as the two entered the Danforth's open foyer. The kitchen was to the left, a large, black granite island placed in the center. It was an open kitchen, so you could see the family room and also the front door.

Chad reached for the doorknob as Gabriella froze, a strong chill crawling up her spine. She tilted her head up and sniffed, Taylor growing confused beside her.

"Gabriella?" the dark girl asked. "What is it?"

"CHAD! DON'T OPEN IT!" Gabriella's warning came to late. Chad had just turned the knob, the door bursting open, ripping clean off its hinges. Chad ducked and rolled out of the way as it came crashing down on the hardwood.

A man entered, soaking wet. So that way she hadn't smelt him, the rain must have been cloaking his scent. Despite the nipping cold outside, he had a tight black muscle shirt on. His jeans were tight like a bickers and he had bull hide cowboy boots on. He was well built, like Mr. Universe, with broad shoulders, and a ripped chest that Gabriella could see through the fabric of his t-shirt.

All that didn't matter thought, because the glint of silver had caught Gabriella's eye. She just managed to tackle Troy to the ground as the man raised the handgun, the bullet smashing a potted plant where Troy's head had been only second before.

"Chad, get away from him!" Gabriella roared as she dragged Troy behind the tall kitchen island.

"What the hell is going on?" Taylor screamed over the hail of bullets.

Troy gave a nervous glance to Gabriella. Her body was shaking with adrenalin and he knew she wanted to turn wolf. But he knew she wouldn't. It would leave her friends to wide open for attack, and human or not, Gabriella cared too much about her friends.

"What is he, Gabriella?!" he asked peaking around the corner. His eyes scrunched together as he looked to the humongous man's neck. He was wearing a…collar?

She sniffed the air again, but he could tell she couldn't get anything besides the strong smell of gunpowder. She turned to lock eyes with him. She whispered only one word "Berserker."

"Wonderful," he answered rolling his eyes. He looked back to her again, her eyes frantically searching her surroundings. "I'll have to ask you what that means later."

"Walker!!!" the man roared from the doorway. "If you come out, I will consider not hurting your friends."

"Gabriella don't," he looked to her again, but she wasn't listening to him. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was deep in thought. Her mouth was moving slightly, almost like she was counting.

"You have to trust me," she responded after a minute, standing up.

"Gabriella!" Taylor hissed. But Gabriella took a step forward, towards the Berserker.

The man grinned, showing a row of perfect canine teeth. "I'm flattered," he gave her a little bow. "I knew you wouldn't let them get hurt." He raised the gun and Gabriella heard Taylor take in a quick breath.

Gabriella gave him a smile, not faltering. "You're out of bullets." Gabriella glanced to the gun, "Eight chamber, .357 Magnum if I'm not mistaken." Troy's jaw dropped open, he defiantly didn't know _this_ Gabriella.

His smile widened as his finger added the needed pressure to the trigger. Silence fell over the open foyer as the gun chamber clicked once. He pressed again, the gun clicked again. He gave an annoyed sigh, throwing the useless contraption to the ground. "It looks like I'm going to have to do this the old fashioned way." He strode forward, taking no time in drawing back a fist.

Gabriella lashed out with her foot and caught the man in the gut. He backpedaled, his hands reaching for his stomach. Gabriella pushed herself to keep moving. She relaxed her arms and went down in a forward roll, sliding in between the man's open legs as he went forward to attack again. The hardwood floor felt cold against her back for just a moment, then she was on her feet again behind him.

He turned, a sneer crawling across his face, "Good. I see daddy----."

Gabriella cut him off, fluidly spinning into a side kick that caught the man square in the face. He flew backwards and she had the chance to recover.

"Chad!" she ordered. "Get with the others!"

She turned back to the man. He was already pulling himself off the ground, wiping at his shirt like it was dirty. He punched forward, but Gabriella was already in motion. She slipped past his outstretched fist. Grabbing his shirt she placed her right leg behind his knee. Using her body as a fulcrum, she threw the man over her bent leg and he went sprawling to the ground, again.

She knew she couldn't win. She was young and all Berserkers were almost one hundred years old. They had years of experience on her and they were known for their stubbornness to giving up. She had to finish quickly before he got really angry. That's what Berserkers do; they use their rage to turn into unstoppable bears. Gabriella _hated_ bears. Almost as the thought passed her mind, the man pulled himself to his feet again. Her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as he smiled at her again.

She stepped closer to him before he could recover completely, backhanding him hard enough to make him stagger. She spun, sending her elbow to his right temple and he sprawled senselessly back to the hardwood floor.

"We need to leave," She looked to her three friends who were hiding behind the kitchen island, their eyes just visible over the black granite. "Now."

They followed her to the door, but the mans roaring laughter made them freeze.

Gabriella spun, her eyes finding the monstrous man. He was picking himself off the ground again. "No," Gabriella said calmly, walking forward and scooping the empty Magnum off the ground. "You're staying on the ground until I'm ready for you to get back up."

The man spit curses and threats at her.

Gabriella bashed the butt of the gun on his nose. He reeled backwards with a scream as it broke under the force. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before. Now he couldn't smell them. It was raining too, which only made tracking harder. He would never be able to follow them.

She turned to her friends, her eyes sharp.

"Leaving," Chad said dashing out the door into the pouring rain.

"Following," Taylor said following Chad out into the rain.

"I'm gong to have to apologize to Mrs. Danforth later," she reached her handout to wind around his.

"We need to go," he pulled her out into the pouring rain, following the blurry forms of Chad and Taylor.

**.-.-.- Insert Some Kind Of Music -.-.-.**

**(Review!)**


	5. Don't Tell Her

_LAST TIME-_

_Gabriella bashed the butt of the gun on his nose. He reeled backwards with a scream as it broke under the force. She didn't know why she hadn't thought of it before. Now he couldn't smell them. It was raining too, which only made tracking harder. He would never be able to follow them._

_She turned to her friends, her eyes sharp._

"_Leaving," Chad said dashing out the door into the pouring rain._

"_Following," Taylor said following Chad out into the rain._

"_I'm gong to have to apologize to Mrs. Danforth later," Gabriella reached her handout to wind around Troy's._

"_We need to go," he pulled her out into the pouring rain, following the blurry forms of Chad and Taylor._

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"What you did back there was incredible," Troy said as he rummaged in his refrigerator.

Gabriella was sitting on his kitchen island, rubbing her damp hair with a towel. Troy's house was the closest one to Chad's. They hadn't used the cars because Gabriella had said they would be tracked to easily. Even with a broken nose, the Berserkers could still smell, and car exhaust was very distinct.

Troy handed her a bottle of water. "Skills like that generally aren't in the repertoire of a 'freaky-genius-girl'."

"I'm not your average 'freaky-genius-girl'." Gabriella reminded him, smiling. She uncapped the bottle and drank. She felt dehydrated, but she made herself drink slowly.

"Are you all right?" He asked, concerned. Even after finding out her secret, he hadn't left her, if anything; the information had sparked his curiosity.

"I'm fine." her shoulder still hurt a little, but it was a slight and temporary pain. She knew from previous experiences that it would be fully healed by tomorrow.

"Weren't you scared?" He inched closer to her taking a sip of water from his water bottle.

"At the time, not so much. I didn't really have time to think about it over the hail of bullets. But now?" Gabriella held up her hand and let Troy witness her quivering fingers, the adrenalin leaving her system. Annoyed by her weakness, she flexed her hand and made a fist several times.

"Are you afraid now?" he asked.

Gabriella turned to look at him. "No, not really. But when everything slows down and you think of what could have happened, sometimes it can seem scary all over again." If she had failed, he would have gotten hurt. Chad and Taylor would have gotten hurt. It was the only thing that had kept her going. Not many of her race had fought a Berserker and gotten away to tell the tale.

"Would you have shot him if the gun had had bullets left in it?" Troy asked hesitantly.

She sighed, "would you have?"

"I don't know." Troy admitted shaking his head. "I hope I'd have been strong enough to shoot him. If he was going to hurt you."

"Not strong enough," Gabriella corrected, smiling slightly at his comment. "Scared enough."

"Scared enough?" Troy asked, confused.

Gabriella sighed and nodded. "If you think you can handle a situation, you tend to build in second guesses. Should I do this or that? What if this goes wrong? What if I fail?" She went quiet for a moment, her eyes searching the tiled kitchen floor. "Nature gave us a fight-or-flight response and hardwired it right into our brains. When we're scared enough, we simply react, its pure instinct. In violent situations, I've learned that it's better to react than to think about reacting." She paused, glancing up into his blue eyes. "Having the wolf inside kind of helps that."

"You've _learned_?" Troy smiled nervously. "You've been involved in a lot of stuff like this? I mean, considering your background and all?"

Gabriella thought about that for a moment and wondered how best to answer it. She didn't want to seem too alienated. She loved Troy, and it was killing her that he really had no idea who she truly was. "Probably more than a lot of people like me. I've been on the run more than half my life."

"Do you ever get used to it?"

"No." she admitted shaking her head. "Not really."

"You seemed like you knew exactly what you were doing," he smiled at her, recalling her flawless fighting style.

"I've trained with my family and father to learn how to fight, so I wouldn't be caught helpless again." She shifted on the island when she said again. "That's not the same as what happened today."

"Why?" he asked, jumping up and sitting next to her. Her hand wrapped around his as Chad and Taylor walked in.

"When I spar with my family I know they're not going to kill me." She stated with a small smile.

"That's really reassuring," Chad said grabbing the ends of the towel strung across his shoulders. "And, by the way, what the hell just happened?" He raised his eyebrows, "we find out that you can turn into a wolf and then some crazy guy starts shooting up my kitchen."

"He was a Berserker," she sighed.

"What's a Berserker?" Taylor asked leaning against the opposite counter, arms crossed. She still had the remnants of a glare on her face. As much as she had wanted to get away from the crazy man shooting at her, her hair didn't stand a chance in the rain, especially in the downpour the four had run through. She had specifically ordered that Gabriella owned her a perm.

"It's a Native American shapeshifter like me," Gabriella answered. "But instead of choosing when to change, his rage controls him."

"Like the Hulk?" Chad stated plainly, face straight, almost like he understood what Gabriella was explaining.

Taylor rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder. "Grow up."

"Ow," he rubbed at the small bruise forming, his dark eye offended. He looked around the group of friends. "What?"

"Actually," Gabriella spoke up smiling. "That's a good comparison, Chad."

He grinned and Taylor shook her head again. "If you keep encouraging him, Gabriella, he'll never grow up."

"So," Troy cut in, getting the subject off of bashing his best friend. Not that Troy didn't find it amusing, it was just that they had more important thing to talk about. There where other times to joke about Chad's immaturity. "They use their anger as a fuel to change?"

"Yes." Gabriella answered, nodding.

"Into what?" Chad asked hesitantly.

Gabriella shifted on the island. "Most of the time into bears…" she paused and then added, "…large, scary, bears."

"Why was he wearing a collar?" Troy asked and Gabriella's eyes went a little wide. She was surprised, but she blinked and the surprise was gone in an instant.

"It means he was owned by someone." She answered.

"Landon Fury?" Troy asked, eyebrows raised. He watched Chad straighten at the name, the curly haired teen still didn't know about the West High Knights captain's secret.

"Most likely," Gabriella shrugged.

It was common, now, for Berserkers to be hired or bought by werewolves. Like the Walkers, Berserkers were, once, against the werewolves who feared them because of their tremendous strength. Gabriella had heard stories of it taking at least three grown werewolves to take down the biggest of Berserkers. As the war had dragged on, Berserkers had been easily swayed by money and power; both of which the werewolves had huge quantities of. So, in the end, the Berserkers had been bought or hired as mercenaries or bounty hunters, which just brought more problems to the Walkers.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Chad stepped forward, waving his hands. "Time out. I've been really accepting about Gabriella's whole 'I-can-turn-into-a-wolf-thing'," he looked to Troy as he spoke, "but I am not very accepting of the bullet holes in my kitchen, or my broken down door. How am I going to explain that to my parents when they get back?"

"All that will be fixed," Gabriella assured from her spot next to Troy. "Werewolves hate failing, and since Landon didn't kill me last night and the Berserker didn't kill me or Troy today, they have failed." She paused. "But there's one thing they hate above all other…being noticed. Your house will be as good as new before you get back tonight."

"How do you know that?" Chad asked, skeptical.

"They have their claws into everything," She answered, solemnly. "Construction. Real Estate. Law Enforcement. Hell," she gave a hopeless laugh, "they own half of downtown. Our state senator is even one of them. They'll fix anything in a heartbeat if it assures them of their secrecy. They **hate** being noticed."

The four froze as the garaged door opened, the house rocking with the movement. The door leading to the garage door opened, Mrs. Bolton entering. A huge brown grocery bag hid her face and as she turned to close the door behind her, her body froze.

"Oh," she smiled to the four friends, and then turned to Troy, "you didn't tell me we were going to have company."

His blue eyes gave an apologetic smile, "it was kind of spur of the moment."

"I can see that," her eyes scanned the four friends. "I can also see that you all are wet. Why were you outside in this awful storm?" Troy stammered, his mouth opening and closing, his mind searching for an acceptable story to tell his mom. A feeling in his gut told him that telling the truth would get him into a lot more trouble then he was already in.

"We where testing a theory," Taylor stepped in, Troy giving her a thank you glance.

"And what theory would that be?" Mrs. Bolton asked, one of her eyebrows quirked. Taylor grew silent at the mother's persistence.

"That no one's felt true happiness until they've danced in the rain," Gabriella smiled, sliding off the island, Troy moving with her. The four friends nodded as the mother's suspicious eyes swept over them.

"And how did that go for you guys?" the mother shrugged. "Besides getting you all wet and more susceptible to catching pneumonia."

"I think it's safe to say its true," Chad smiled reaching for the brown grocery bag. "It really is fun."

"Thanks, Chad," Mrs. Bolton smiled. "There's more in the back of the car if you guys want to help." She paused, "better yet, why don't you all stay for dinner."

"Thanks for the offer," Gabriella smiled, "but I have to get home to my mom. I forgot to tell her where I was going."

"Nonsense," Mrs. Bolton waved a hand. "It's pouring outside, she came come over for dinner too. I haven't seen Estella in ages."

"Oh, okay." Gabriella gave a hesitant glance to Troy who just shrugged his shoulders and made for the garage door. She followed; Taylor right behind her as Chad stayed with Mrs. Bolton to unpack the groceries.

He hauled one of the bags out of the back of his mom's Lexis, "So, are you born a Walker?"

"No," she answered grabbing a bag. "Our parents pass us the power on our seventeenth birthday."

He paused and turned to her. His eyes held confusion and he glanced to Taylor, who also looked confused. Gabriella was seventeen. But from the way she had told her stories, it seemed like she had been a Walker for more than just a year.

"Wait," Taylor spoke as they stood in the garage. "You turned seventeen, like, a year ago, but you talk as if you've been a Walker for longer than that."

Gabriella glanced down to the dirty cement floor. "It's a power that is passed on through parents, Troy." She said his name as if trying to jog his memory. "My father gave me the power to change."

"When you were little," he nodded his head as he remembered. "When you were sick. So your father didn't just heal you, he changed you."

"Yes," she nodded her head. "But it brought complications. It was written in stone that the passage from child to Walker must happen on your seventeenth birthday. My father broke the law; he was exiled for five years. But when he came back, he challenged the Alpha, won and is now the leader."

"He only wanted to save you," Taylor said and then asked. "Who was the Alpha he beat out?"

The three exited the garage and set the bags down on the counter. Gabriella paused, her hand running over the black granite of the island counter. "His father."

"Ohhh," Taylor made a face.

"How'd that family reunion go?" Troy asked with a small smile on his face.

"I think its safe to say they aren't talking to each other anymore," Gabriella answered.

"I just got off the phone with your mother, Gabriella." Mrs. Bolton appeared from behind the open refrigerator door. "She's going to be here in like ten minutes, she was already out."

"Ok," Gabriella smiled. "Thanks for having us over."

"Your welcome," she shut the door, her arms full of frozen food. "I need the company. Having only two men in the house can get old."

"Ouch," Troy sent a hand over his heart, a playful grin on his face.

"You guys get out of here," Mrs. Bolton shooed them out with the spatula. "I have a lot of cooking to do."

Troy smiled and exited the kitchen, the three following him. He put his hand on the stair banister as he went up two at a time. The metal of his doorknob felt all to cold underneath his hand. He opened his door and Chad squeezed under his arm, flying and jumping onto his bed.

"So," Chad put his hands behind his head as the three entered. "Is your mom a Walker to?"

Gabriella sat in Troy's computer chair as Taylor joined Chad on the bed. Troy crossed sat on the floor next to Gabriella, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yes," Gabriella answered. "My whole family is. We're what you would consider the first. We're the pure bloods."

"Wait," Chad propped himself up on his elbows. "People like me or Troy, normal people," he flashed a smile when Gabriella's eyes narrowed, "can be Walkers?"

"Yes, but only if one of your parents is one." Gabriella answered. "No ones born as a Walker, so, yes, anyone outside of the clan can technically be one, if a Walker changes them."

"Sweet," Chad flashed a grin.

"I said if," Gabriella held up a finger. "Though its highly unlikely. You have to be related. The transfer of power is meant only for people who's hearts are connected. Like parents to children."

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked.

"As a Walker, you need a bond with the person you're changing, normally a maternal bond, it's the strongest. If I tried to change let's say," she smiled, "Chad, it wouldn't work. It would actually probably kill me."

"Why?" Chad looked confused.

"The power that's transferred is passed through the same blood. It makes the process easier if your related, like parents to children. It would be excruciatingly painful for me to try and change you, Chad. We do not share the same parents, or even the same blood." She gave him a lopsided grin. "And my love for you is not strong enough to withstand the transfer. It would be impossible for you to be a Walker."

"Well," Chad threw up his hands. "There go all my hopes and dreams."

"Troy," Gabriella stood, her eyes pleading down at him. He had felt the shake through the floor and they had all heard the car pull up. "You can not tell or give any hint to my mother that you know, that all of you know. Things will get very complicated if she finds out."

The doorbell rang and her chocolate eyes turned frantic. "Gabriella, don't worry." He walked forward and hugged her. "It's going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine."

She gave him a small smile as they exited the room. Troy tried to blank his face, tried to rid himself of all the confusion he was feeling. It was only when he stepped onto the hardwood of the foyer that he realized how futile his efforts were.

He had watched Mrs. Montez's body stiffen as the four friends came down the stairs, and even though the mothers were in heated discussion, he had caught Mrs. Montez's eyes flash to him.

"Have you had a good week, Estella?" his mother was her carefree self, oblivious to Mrs. Montez's tense muscles.

Estella Montez gave a graze smile; though Troy knew the chances of her having a good week with all attacks in the newspaper was about as good of a chance as an icicle in hell. But she lied, politely enough. "It's been an excellent week, Lucille, and thank you for having Gabriella and I over."

"Oh," he was pretty sure his mom was blushing. "It was no trouble. But after finding the condition they were all in after I came back from shopping, soaking wet and everything. I figured I couldn't send them home."

Estella gave a small smile; thought Troy could tell it was forced. His mother excused herself after the timer on the over went off. As soon as his mother was out of earshot, Estella's eyes focused on the group. "What's wrong you four?"

_Shit._

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**(Review! Please?)**


	6. We're Leaving

_LAST TIME-_

"_Oh," he was pretty sure his mom was blushing. "It was no trouble. But after finding the condition they were all in after I came back from shopping, soaking wet and everything. I figured I couldn't send them home."_

_Estella gave a small smile; thought Troy could tell it was forced. His mother excused herself after the timer on the over went off. As soon as his mother was out of earshot, Estella's eyes focused on the group. "What's wrong you four?"_

_Shit._

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Gabriella's face paled at the question, her mother's eyes flashing to hers. She shifted uncomfortably on her feet, her hands sweating.

"Guys?" Mrs. Montez asked again, her voice a little impatient.

"Dinners ready." Troy was so thankful to hear his mother's high-pitched voice. He watched as Mrs. Montez relaxed, her shoulders dropping. She walked past the group and then paused next to Gabriella.

"You _will_ tell me what's going on." The mothers voice was serious and Gabriella shifted her eyes down to the floor. Mrs. Montez left the four friends as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Dude," Chad's eyes were wide. "I never realized just how scary your mom is."

"Its ok. We're fine." Troy put a hand on Gabriella shoulder. She gave him a weak smile as the four made their way into the kitchen. The table was already set, and the group sat around the table as Mrs. Bolton hurried around placing the food on the table.

Troy was ecstatic as he stared at the huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs. It was by far his favorite thing his mother could fix. He ate and Gabriella laughed, the events of yesterday forgotten as the group enjoyed each other's company.

"How about we watch a movie?" Chad asked as he helped Troy clean off the table.

"I don't know Chad," Mrs. Montez was eyeing him suspiciously. "Gabriella and I have to get home."

"You won't stay for coffee?" Mrs. Bolton almost pleaded.

Estella sighed. "Why not, coffee sound good right now. That spaghetti was excellent, by the way."

Troy's mom smiled, a small blush creeping across her cheek. She excused herself back to the kitchen while the four made there way towards the living room.

Chad plopped down in front of the DVDs letting out a small laugh. "They're all alphabetized."

Troy shrugged. "It makes them easy to find."

"Which one do I want?" Chad asked himself, skimming over the many titles. "Yes, this one." He pulled out Lord of the Rings.

"We can't make it obvious that we're trying to stall, Chad." Taylor informed him rolling her eyes.

"Right." Chad put the DVD back. "That would be a little to obvious." He skimmed the sent again, reaching for another. "How about this one?" He held up Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

"Long but not obviously long like we're trying to stall." Taylor nodded her head. "Good work Chad."

He smiled and put in the DVD player. Troy crashed on the leather couch in front of the TV, Gabriella lying next to him. Taylor sat in one of the two sofas in the room, Chad sitting on the ground next to her feet. The French Horn played and Troy could almost hear his mother groan from the kitchen.

Two hours and twenty minutes later the credits filled the screen, their time of stalling was over. Troy shifted the sleeping Gabriella in his arms, just gently enough to wake her. Chad was passed out at Taylor's feet, a thunderous snoring radiating from his mouth.

"Gabriella?" Mrs. Montez's soft voice carried from behind the sofa. "Time to go. I completely forgot that you guys have school in the morning."

Gabriella blurrily got to her feet, her hand rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She yawned, pulling Troy up wither. "School. Yay."

"True," Chad yawned from the floor, his arms stretched up over his head.

"Come on." Mrs. Montez and Mrs. Bolton ushered the kids to the door. Troy gave a small smile to Gabriella, leaning in and kissing her before she walked out of his front door.

Gabriella sniffed the air; she loved the smell after a good rain. It was chilly though, and she scrunched her shoulders together, pain flashing across her eyes for a split second. Her shoulder was still sore.

"Gabriella?" Her mother's voice brought her out of her stupor, and she realized she had stopped walking.

"Sorry." She replied walking up to her moms Lincoln.

She pulled herself up into the passenger side and shut the door. She rolled her stiff shoulder again as her mother got into the driver seat, shutting the door with more force than was needed.

"I know you're mad," Gabriella said but was cut short when her mother let out a laugh.

"Mad?" her mother was smiling, but her eyes were dangerous and annoyed. "Why on earth would I be mad at you?"

"Don't give me that, mom." She rolled her eyes. "I really don't need it right now."

"Ok." her mom nodded her head, then turned serious. "Where the hell where you last night? I let you go out to the movies, which I think was pretty gracious considering all that has been going on, and you don't come home. No phone call. No reassurance that you were all right."

"They were going to hurt Troy, mom." Gabriella answered looking down to her hands in her lap. "I wasn't going to let them hurt him."

Dead silence.

"Why would they go after Troy?" her mothers voice was soft, but Gabriella already knew that the mother knew the answer. The older woman sighed, putting her head in her hands. "They know who you are. They've found us."

"Yes." Gabriella answered solemnly. "Most likely."

"So that explains the shoulder." Her mom sighed as she backed out of the Bolton's driveway.

"How did you know?" Gabriella asked looking sideways to her mother.

"Please. Give me a little more credit than that, Gabriella." Her mother smiled slightly. "I'm your mother, I can tell when your hurt." She paused, her eyes focusing on the road. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Gabriella rolled her shoulder again. "It will be fine by tomorrow. Thank God Taylor knew first aid." The Lincoln slammed to a stop sending Gabriella forward. Her hands hit the dashboard so her head wouldn't.

"WHAT?!" Her mothers voice was low, almost like a growl.

Gabriella turned to the window and hit her head against it. Taking a deep breath as the cold from the outside cooled her scorching forehead. "They know. Troy saved me, brought me to Chad's when I was unconscious, and Taylor patched me up." she whispered into the silence of the car.

"I'm going to have to call you father again." Gabriella head whipped towards her mothers at the mention of her father. A deep longing hit her heart. She hadn't seen her father in years.

"You've talked to him," she asked in excitement. "Recently?"

"Yes," her mother answered. "I was going to call him anyway, but with all the recent attacks on Walkers in the newspaper and then you not coming home last night, I figured I had to tell him."

"What'd he say?" she was happy to get any news of her father. "Is he alright? Where is he? Is he coming here?"

"He's fine." Her mother answered and then said no more.

"That's it, that's all your going to tell me?" she asked in aggravation.

"Gabriella." Her mothers voice was low. Almost pained. "He told me something. Something we would have to do in case things don't get better. In case we cant stop the werewolves this time."

"What?" Gabriella didn't like the look in her mother's eyes.

"If things don't get better," her mother paused. "We're going to have to leave Albuquerque."

**.-.-.- (Review! I hated writing this chapter.) -.-.-.**


	7. Check It Out

_LAST TIME-_

"_Gabriella." Her mothers voice was low. Almost pained. "He told me something. Something we would have to do in case things don't get better. In case we cant stop the werewolves this time."_

"_What?" Gabriella didn't like the look in her mother's eyes._

"_If things don't get better," her mother paused. "We're going to have to leave Albuquerque."_

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

The words rang through her mind as she sat in first period the next day. She was going to have to leave Albuquerque like everywhere else she had lived. The bell rang and the commotion of the crowded hallway barley penetrated her thinking.

How the hell was she going to explain to Troy?

Her luck was horrible, she would find out, because a hand rested on her shoulder and as she turned, she found the blue eyes of Troy Bolton. He instantly knew what was wrong, his hands going to her cheeks as he moved his face closer to hers.

"Are you alright?" is was a sincere question, but it made her laugh.

"No, I'm not alright." She answered after see his head cock backwards in confusion.

"Your mom didn't find out, did she?" He leaned closer to her as they walked. "About us knowing your secret."

"She did." He groaned, his mouth opening with an apology. She cut him off. "But that's not the worst of it."

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"If we don't figure out who's killing the Walkers," she paused, her eyes shifting to the floor. "I'm going to have to move, Troy. I'm going to have to leave Albuquerque if the killings don't stop." He stopped dead in his tracks, his hand tightening dangerously around hers.

"What?" he asked turning to her.

"I'm going to have to leave." She answered in a whisper.

"What can I do to help?" He took a step towards her

"You can't do anything." She shook her head. "Please, Troy. I've gotten you involved enough. Only I can figure out what's going on." She turned and walked away, leaving him wide eyed in the hallway.

In that moment she had decided. She was going to visit Berry Smart's house.

Tonight.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

She pushed the hedges that lined Berry Smart's backyard out of her way. The back door had been ripped off its hinges, yellow caution tape covering the open space. She took a deep breath, taking a step out into the open night.

Rustling behind her made her freeze. Her body tensed and she whipped around, diving back into the bushes and colliding with the person on the other side. She sighed, a wry smile crossing her face as she sat on her pursuers chest. She knew he would follow.

The blond boy underneath her gave a lopsided grin. "Paranoid much?"

"That depends," she pushed down on his chest playfully, making the air leave his lungs. "If I'm being hunted by a clan of werewolves, yes. But if I'm being followed by you," she raised an eyebrow at him. "No."

"Ow," he smiled again before sitting up, making her fall off of his chest. "You really know how to attack a mans ego."

"You just need practice in the whole not-making-noise-when-you're-trying-to-follow-someone thing." She teased, poking him in the shoulder.

"_You just need practice_," Troy mimicked in a whiny voice, bobbing his head from side to side as he said it, but there was a smile on his face. "Just enjoy it while you can. One day, Gabriella, I'll really catch you by surprise and you'll have no idea what hit you."

"Ohh, you're so _competitive_," she said, smiling. "I love the way you boys get like that. Really, it's just _so_ amusing."

"Funny." Troy replied, getting to his feet and dusting off his jeans. He looked around, sighing. "So, what are we doing here?"

"_I'm_, going to see if I can get anything out of Berry's house." She made her way through the bushes again. "See if I can I figure out who killed him, though I have a good idea who already.

"Has anyone entered?" Troy asked.

Gabriella shook her head. "This is the last of the three murder scene. The Walkers that work in the police department made sure that not many people entered, it kind of mixes all the smells together, contaminating the evidence for us."

"So, you're going to see if you can smell who did it?" Troy asked as they made their way cautiously to the back door.

"If I can." She stated shrugging her shoulders.

"What do you mean, if you can?" he asked.

"There's not exactly a database where scents are stored. Even if I scent this guy out, I'll probably have no idea who it is, unless its someone I know, or have met." Gabriella answered, pausing at the step up of the back porch. Troy followed her, halting on the grass just behind her. She turned back to him. "Its best if I do this alone, so your scent doesn't contaminate my nose."

"Oh," his face dropped a little, disappointed. "Okay."

He watched her close her eyes, her body shifting from human to wolf. There was no longer a bright light that engulfed her when she changed. A sensation would just make Troy get the urge to blink and then she would be changed, just like that.

She stretched, her back end going in the air, tail sticking out as she pulled her front shoulders to the ground. Shifting didn't really hurt her, unlike when werewolves changed; it just feels like a good stretch after a workout. She scratched the last of the tingles out of her ear with her back paw and stood up straighter.

Her scenes as a human were sharp. But when she shifted forms, they got a whole lot better. When she's in the wolf form, her mind can process what her nose and ears are telling her, almost painting her an exact picture of what had happened.

Troy watched as she walked around in the back yard for a little bit, her nose skimming the ground. She was trying to get a feel for the house, and the familiar scent of Berry Smart made her heart clench, she missed him. She could pick up the scents of the people who had visited recently. There were a couple of unfamiliar ones, but she could smell his wife, their two daughters and even the dog, a black lab if she wasn't mistaken.

Troy stepped out of the way when she stopped at the back door, underneath the yellow caution tape. She took one step in, and a wave of death washed over her. She couldn't help but take a step back, whimpering. Troy knelt next to her, placing his hand on her head.

"What's wrong?" he asked and she just whined at him, almost like she was telling him to stay where he was. He understood, well enough, and nodded his head as she made her way into the house.

The strong smell made her creep over the threshold into the laundry room, her ears flat against her head, and tail between her legs. It wasn't hard to follow the scent of blood to the kitchen, where Berry had been killed. Blood was splattered over every counter in the kitchen and floor, with two larger stains where his body had come to a rest. His remains had been removed, but not further effort had been made to clean it up.

She scanned the room and found one of those obnoxious air fresheners in a light socket next to the paper towel rack. She sneezed and shook her head.

From what she could see, Berry had put up quite a fight. His kitchen table was broken and still in pieces on the floor, one of the windows over his sink was shattered, and some sort of impact had split his pantry door. She came to one conclusion; it had been a violent death.

She crouched down in the entranceway between the kitchen and dining room and closed her eyes, better to concentrate on what she smelled. She pushed aside Berry Smarts scent. Every house had a master scent, so she started from there. This house had a distinct smell of pine needles, timber and…freesia. The freesia was odd.

She opened her eyes and looked around just in case, cocking her head to the side, but there were no flourishing blue flowers. If the scent had been fainter, she would have just guessed that someone had brought it in with them, but it was persistent. She glanced up, her chocolate eyes finding the tiny air freshener. She growled and put her chin on her front paws again, closing her eyes.

_Damn air freshener._

Once she distinguished what the house smelled like, she could better understand the scents that had come and gone. She found the scent of Alan Thompson, a Walker that worked at the local police department, and another that also smelled like a Walker she had met, but she had forgotten his name.

All the scents that were left after the initial elimination she absorbed until she felt she could recall them upon memory. Hr memory for scent is a lot better than her memory for sight. She could forget someone's face, but she rarely forgot their scent, or their voice for that matter.

She discovered three unfamiliar scents, strong, powerful…evil. Her eyebrows furrowed. She had smelt them before, at the movie theater. A face popped into her head as she stood, her eyes still closed. Landon Fury. She stuck her nose into the air, picking up the faint scent of his two cronies that had been with him. She growled, making her way towards the refrigerator.

She had smelled something else, amongst the blood and werewolf scents; there had been something else. She put her paws up on the counter next to the refrigerator before hopping up, her nose automatically drawn to the kitchen knives in the wooden block. She pawed at the block until it tipped and sent the knives clattering to the counter. Her nose was draw to one of the blades as her ears perked up. Troy entered the kitchen at a run, only to slide to a stop, his hand moving to cover his mouth.

"Jesus Christ." His eyebrows were scrunched together as his blue eyes fell upon the red blood. She growled at him and he explained. "I heard something fall, I wanted to check and see if you were alright."

She yipped at him, her eyes shifting back to the scattered knives. He stepped forward, skipping over the splatters of blood until he stood next to her. He looked down to the knife she was pawing at, the blade covered in blood.

"Berry's?" he asked and she shook her head. The blood that coated the knife was not Berry Smart's it was Landon Fury's.

"The attacker?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Werewolf?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Landon Fury?" he asked.

She nodded.

He took a deep breath, running his hands through his hair. She hopped off the counter, stepping cautiously over the kitchen threshold as she made her way towards the back door. Troy followed, muttering to himself. They exited the house and Gabriella took a deep breath, relieved to smell fresh air and real flowers.

"Good job, Gabriella." Troy was smiling beside her. "You figured it out, and now if the cops come back, they'll find the bloody knife with Landon's blood on it." He watched as her chocolate eyes brightened. She was thinking the same thing he was. She wasn't going to have to leave after all. The smile was wiped off his face; however, as Gabriella spun on her feet.

The fur on her back seemed to quiver as she dropped down like a cat and began to edge forward throught the grass, sensing the air as though tasting it. Her ears cocked forward, her eyes suddenly full of a sly cunning. She edged towards the back of the backyard, her nose scanning the air. She smelled something.

Troy tensed behind her as she growled and dippeed her head in defense. It was then that Troy heard it, a low, amused laugh. A man stepped out of the bushes, his hands held up in surrender.

Troy cocked his head to the side in confusion. The man was tall, maybe 5'11 and had broad muscular shoulders. His hands were huge, nearly the size of Troy's face. He wore a long, leather duster that cut off just above the heals of his black hiking boots. His hair ended just below his ears and was the purest black, like the night. The man smiled as Gabriella stiffened, her head cocking to the side.

Troy blinked and she was human again.

It was safe to say that Troy was confused. She wasn't supposed to show that she was a Walker, but there she was, changing in front of this mysterious man. And then it hit him. The man looked familiar, remarkably like Gabriella. The cheekbones, the dark chocolate eyes, the smile, they all matched. If almost to confirm Troy's suspicions, Gabriella dashed forward, wrapping her arms around the man's neck as he gave a loving laugh.

"Dad!"

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

(Review! I had to give you guys another chapter. The one I uploaded this morning was crap and you deserve more. This one is by far my favorite!)


	8. Meet The Family

_LAST TIME-_

_Troy blinked and she was human again._

_It was safe to say that Troy was confused. She wasn't supposed to show that she was a Walker, but there she was, changing in front of this mysterious man. And then it hit him. The man looked familiar, remarkably like Gabriella. The cheekbones, the dark chocolate eyes, the smile, they all matched. If almost to confirm Troy's suspicions, Gabriella dashed forward, wrapping her arms around the man's neck as he gave a loving laugh._

"_Dad!"_

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

It seemed like forever before she pulled away from her father. She smiled up at him as he kissed the top of her forehead. He was stroking her cheek when his eyes flashed past her to look at Troy. She stiffened, the smile dropping from her face.

"You have _a lot_ of explaining to do, Gabby. We're going to have to talk about this back at the house." His voice was strong and enforced with age, but it held the youth and curiosity of a teenager. Troy heard the little bit of anger that lingered, and he was instantly afraid of the older man.

"I know, Dad." She looked to the ground.

"Obviously he knows." The father raised an eyebrow at Troy, scanning him from head to toe.

"Yes." Gabriella answered fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Are there others that know?" her asked.

"Yes," Gabriella's voice grew quite.

The father whistled, running his hand over his mouth. He looked around and then sniffed the air. "Berry Smart, your guardian and a good man."

"I came to see if I could figure out who killed him," she answered turning to look at the broken down back door of the house.

The father paused again, sniffing the air. "Landon Fury," he growled.

"Yeah." Gabriella nodded.

"Well then, we need to get back home and tell the others." He answered, his head cocking to the side as he made eye contact with Troy. "What's your name, Boy?"

"Troy Bolton, sir." He stammered. It was a wired feeling, standing in the presence of Gabriella's father. The man radiated authority, and he was intimidating, very intimidating.

"Troy Bolton." He spoke the words like he was testing them, and then he inclined his head once in Troy's direction. "I'm Alexander Montez. Welcome to the War."

Troy let out the breath he had been keeping in as the father turned and walked through the bushes. He walked forward joining Gabriella's side as the two started after Mr. Montez. She wrapped her arms around one of his, both of her hands winding around his.

"I have to warn you, my family is …different." She admitted.

He laughed. "Nothing can beat Chad's family," he paused and smiled. "Or those families you see on TV. You know the ones with the little boy jumping off the roof into the pool and the girl sticking the vacuum cleaner in the fish tank." He laughed to himself. "Classic."

"You don't understand," her voice grew serious. "Those families have nothing on mine."

"You serious? Roof jumper boy and fish tank cleaner girl?" He asked wide-eyed. She rolled her eyes and gave him a sidelong glance. A smile crossed his face as he asked, eyebrows raised. "Dysfunctional?"

"Worse." She answered with a small, hopeless laugh.

"Well, this is going to be a rather eventful evening," he paused, his eyes quickly glancing to Mr. Montez's back. "Not that it wasn't fun already." He ran his hand over the back of his head. They were at the cars now, and Gabriella turned to face him.

"Just follow me," she told him right before kissing him. Troy caught the low, almost inaudible growl from her father and she rolled her eyes. "Ignore him."

"Are you sure that's the smart thing to do?" he asked nervously. "Isn't he like, the Alpha of your entire race?"

She turned and headed towards her car. "Yeah, but he's really just a big puppy dog." Her father snorted and lowered himself into his car, Gabriella smiling smugly to herself.

Her father turned to look back at her. "I'm going to go on ahead." She nodded and watched as he shifted, the large silver wolf bounding into the darkness.

Troy took a deep breath, opening his truck door and sliding into the seat. He turned the key in the ignition and followed Gabriella, who in turn was following her father. He used the silence of the car ride to prepare himself for Gabriella's "less-than-normal family". He was surprised; however, when he parked behind a blood red Mercedes Bends SLR Mclaren outside Gabriella's house.

He looked to the other side of the street, finding two Nissan Zs parked right behind one another. The first one was black, the license tag reading: Night90. The second one was white, and the same model as the first. The only difference was the license tag, it reading: Day90. He squinted through the night and found an Aston Martin Vanquish S a couple of feet behind the Nissan Zs. In was defiantly Mr. Montez's car.

He liked Gabriella's less-then-normal family already.

He whistled as he hauled himself out of his car, walking hesitantly towards the shiny, expensive, red car in front of him. He ran his hand along the back, the smooth surface making goose bumps appear on his skin and a smile cross his excited face.

"Looks like Blaine's here." Gabriella stated from her driveway, glancing at the Mercedes. "The twins too." She waited, watching as Troy stroked the car. She sighed, rolling her eyes. "Come on lover boy. I guarantee it will still be here when you come back out." She yelled.

"What?" he looked to her, blinking. It was such a pretty car! They all were pretty cars!

"Lets get inside." She almost sounded annoyed, but he looked back down to the car anyway. "If you hurry up, I might be able to convince Blaine to let you drive it sometime."

That got him moving. He bounded up to stand next to her, an excited smile on his face. "Really? You really think he would let me drive it?"

"I don't know?" she shrugged. "Can you drive stick?"

"Not yet, but I sure as hell learn quick." She rolled her eyes and smiled as they made there way to her front door. She paused and took a deep break before reaching for the doorknob.

She opened the door and they both entered, the familiar smell of her house entering Troy's nose. Timber and burning wood, though the fireplace was always empty. The two entered the living room and Troy was greeted with three new faces.

"The twins." Gabriella pointed to a boy and girl on the couch. The boy stood, walking forward and reaching out his hand.

"Reid Murdock." He smiled, his teeth perfectly white. His blond hair was short, where it spiked itself, and his eyes were mysterious. They swirled constantly between a stormy gray and a pale blue. He looked to be about 21, with small, but broad, shoulders and a muscular frame. His handshake was firm and he stared Troy right in the eye.

Before Troy could get his name out, Reid was pushed aside, his sister taking his place. She stuck out her hand, a sly smile on her face. "Ryan Murdock."

"Excuse me?" Troy asked, caught off guard by the name.

"Yeah, I know." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "I got a lot of shit for it when I was a kid, please don't add to it."

"Oh, sorry." Troy apologized. The name he was fine with, but her appearance gave him a slight sense of déjà vu. She looked exactly like her brother. _Duh, Twins_. A voice in the back of his mind reminded, sounding bored. Her blond hair was longer, a little more than shoulder length, and she was just as tall as her brother. Her eyes were the same, almost a constant swirl between stormy gray and pale blue.

"Its ok." she smiled, her hand still clasped around his. He tried to let go but she wouldn't. "You're really cute." She said bluntly, her eyes bright.

"Down Ryan." Troy looked to the archway between the kitchen and living room. A man was leaning against the wall, his face straight. "You can't hit on the first guy that's not a part of your family as soon as he walks through the door. Let the man have a chance to at least run away first."

She let go of Troy's hand and turned, her eyes dark. "Screw you, Blaine."

"Bit me, princess." He shot back.

Reid recovered from his sisters earlier act and slung a compatible, but awkward arm over Troy's shoulder. The twin was smiling. "You know this is the closest she's ever come to having sex. She says, "screw you" and her cousin replies "bite me."

Ryan turned, her eyes flashing like flint. Troy though for a second that she was actually going to lung at her brother, but she blinked and controlled herself. "Oh yeah? I don't recall you ever getting laid, smartass."

The arm was gone from Troy's shoulder as Reid took a step forward. "I've been laid. Many times."

"Yeah, whatever." Ryan rolled her stormy gray, yet pale blue eyes and snorted. "The closest thing you've come to having sex is with your hand and a good Jessica Alba movie."

"Not true!" Reid defended, his mouth open in mock hurt.

"Come on." Gabriella whispered, rolling her eyes.

"But it's just getting interesting." He smiled and she rolled her eyes dragging him away from the two arguing twins and over towards Blaine. Excitement grew in his stomach as he was drawn close to the man that owned the Mercedes. He was smiling, his eyes watching to two fighting teens with amusement.

He was older, possibly 29, with longer black hair. His eyes were emerald green, the purest color Troy had ever seen. And the last thing, he was _tall_. Even though he was leaning against the wall, he was a good two inches taller than Troy.

"Blaine O'Connell." He stuck out his hand, straightening. The man hit 6'0 easy.

"Troy Bolton." Troy smiled, the excitement growing in his stomach. "Its really nice to meet you."

Blaine's eyes brightened, a wry smile crossing his angular face. "You've seen my car, haven't you?"

"You've caught me." Troy gave a shy smile as he rubbed the back of his head. "I couldn't help but bask in its glory for a little bit."

Blaine nodded his head and turned to Gabriella. "What did you promise him?"

Gabriella looked shocked, but a smile crawled up the right side of her face. "Only that you might let him drive it sometime."

Blaine paused, contemplating the question. "I'll see what I can do." He watched Troy's eyes brighten, and then caught the other question swimming in Troy's mind. "The black one, aka Night90 is twiddle dumb's," he pointed to Ryan, "and the white one, aka Day90 is twiddle dumberer's," he pointed to Reid.

"How can they afford it?" Troy asked, a bit of longing in his voice.

"Our family has been around forever. Its safe to say that we're all well off." Blaine explained as the three watched Ryan grab Reid and put him in a headlock.

"Boy's and their toys." Gabriella said shaking her head. She then turned to Blaine, "what are we waiting for? Or are we waiting for anyone?"

"Your mom called your two other friends as soon as your dad arrived," said Blaine. "We're going to start with the meeting as soon as they get here."

It happened all at once, Troy being the only one out of the loop. Blaine stiffened, Gabriella too. Reid stopped cursing and Ryan let his head slip from the headlock. The four Walker's heads turned towards the front door just before the doorbell rang.

"I got it!" Reid scampered away from his sister, who followed after him. Both of their hands found the doorknob at the same time as they turned teh metal. Troy caught the flash of brown curly and straight black hair. Chad and Taylor had arrived.

Ryan gave an innocent smile and Reid just crossed his arms, his face straight.

"Sorry. I think were at the wrong house." Chad stated in confusion.

**.-.-.- Insert Some Kind Of Music -.-.-.**

**(Review!)**


	9. Turn For The Worst

_LAST TIME-_

_It happened all at once, Troy being the only one out of the loop. Blaine stiffened, Gabriella too. Reid stopped cursing and Ryan let his head slip from the headlock. The four Walker's heads turned towards the front door just before it rang._

_"I got it!" Reid scampered away from his sister, who followed after him. Both of their hands found the doorknob at the same time as they turned. Troy caught the flash of brown curly and straight black hair. Chad and Taylor had arrived._

_Ryan gave an innocent smile and Reid just crossed his arms._

"_Sorry. I think were at the wrong house." Chad stated in confusion._

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Troy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Chad was to his right, his best friends hands fidgeting on the tabletop. Taylor was to Troy's left, her eyes shifted to her hands that were in her lap. It was safe to say that the situation was awkward. The three friends were positioned at one end of the kitchen table, Alexander Montez standing at the other end.

The father's arms were crossed across his chest as he sized up the three in front of him. Ryan was sitting on the kitchen counter, Reid standing next to her. Gabriella was seated to her father's right, her mother to her husbands left. Blaine was leaning in one of the corners, his face voice of any emotions.

"So." Alexander Montez broke the silence, glancing down to Gabriella. "These are the only three that know."

"Yes." Gabriella nodded her head.

"Wait." Ryan said holding up a hand. "These three know our secret?"

Gabriella nodded again and Reid groaned beside his sister. "This is so not cool." He was shaking his hand in his hands.

"You would be the only one to put it like that." Ryan chastised. "This situation is a little more serious then just "not being cool."

"Would Superman still be cool if everyone knew he was Clark Kent?" Reid pointed out, crossing his arms, pouting. "They know our true identity. This sucks."

"Enough." Alex dismissed the random tangent with the finality in his voice. The twins grew silent as their eyes shifted to the kitchen floor.

"So, what do we do, Alex?" Blaine asked from his position in the corner.

"I don't know," the Alpha shook his head. "We can't kill them, although that's what the rules state we would have to do in a situation like this."

"What? Kill? Us?" Troy interrupted, his blue eyes wide. Both Taylor and Chad had straightened beside him as well at the information.

Gabriella answered, her eyes glaring at her father. "What he meant to say was that we wont kill you because you are not a threat to our existence. It is written in law that we protect our secret by whatever means necessary. If you had not been my friends, my _close_ friends." Her eyes flashed to her fathers again. "Then you would have had a lot of trouble coming your way."

"But since you are Gabriella's good friends, there's only one thing I can do. I'm bound by our law, my hands are tied." Alex sighed, pausing.

Troy's eyes scrunched together. "What do you mean?"

"You are forbidden, after this night, to have any conversations, interactions or affiliations with my daughter." Alex stated simply. It was a firm command that left no room for negotiation.

That didn't mean Gabriella didn't try. She stood up, her chair sliding out from under her as she turned to her father.

"You can't do that!" she yelled. The next moment came as a confusing blur to Troy. In an instant, Blaine had shifted from his spot from the corner, his hand grasping Gabriella's shoulder firmly. Estella had made it to her feet, her hand grabbing the upper arm of her husbands.

The two's attempts at restraining the father and daughter went unnoticed. Gabriella was pushed to the kitchen floor, her father's hand resting firmly on her chest, his teeth bared. Troy rose from his seat, eyes burning with hate. Reid's hand on his shoulder stopped him, though. When he looked to the twin for an explanation, the blond boy just shook his head sadly.

"This is what happens. We are not a normal family, Troy. You have to understand that. There are rules, a chain of command. We always have to respect the words of our Alpha, no matter who you are, you have to respect his orders." Reid replied in a shallow whisper. Troy turned to his left; Chad had risen as well at the hostility from the father, but Ryan had been at his side in an instant, calming him with a delicate hand. Taylor had shifted her chair away from the two bodies on the floor on the other side of the table, but Ryan's other hand had found the best friends shoulder.

"I can, and you _will_ do as I say, Gabriella." Alex snarled. Gabriella clenched her jaw, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. She turned her head away from the snarling face of her father, but reluctantly offered her throat in submission.

Estella's hand on his shoulder seemed to snap the father out of his rage. He removed his hand from his daughter's chest. Blaine offered a hand to Gabriella, but she pushed it away and with one, final, glare directed at her father, stormed out of the kitchen. Troy watched her go and heard the opening and then slamming shut of the front door. Troy went to follow, but stopped at the voice of Alex.

"No." the father sighed. "Sit down. We have more to talk about." Troy hesitated, but found his chair when the father raised an eyebrow at him.

"Now," Alex cleared his throat and Blaine found his spot in the back corner again. The twins were sitting on the kitchen counter again as Estella found her seat next to her husband. "Tell me everything that happened the night you found out about our secret." He paused, his eyes growing small. "Everything, and don't lie to me."

"Well." Troy started, taking a deep breath. "We were going to see a movie. But she was late getting there so I went to get the tickets. When I got back to my car, Landon was sitting on the hood and two of his buddies were flanking him."

"It wasn't just Landon?" Alex interrupted.

"No." Troy answered before continuing. "The kid already hated me because of basketball, so he shoved me around a bit. But right when it was about to get ugly, Gabriella showed up."

"Was she in wolf form?" Reid asked from his seat on the kitchen counter.

"Yes." Troy answered in aggravation for being interrupted for the second time. "Look, are you sure you just don't want to ask me questions and have me answer them. Or would you like me to continue telling the story?"

Alex raised an amused eyebrow. "Fair enough, continue and we wont interrupt again."

"Thank you." Troy nodded his head. "Like I was saying, Gabriella showed up, teeth and claws bared. She kind of told me to get away while she held them off."

"What do you mean, "she kind of told you?" Ryan interrupted. "We can't talk in our wolf forms."

Troy rolled his eyes and let out a heavy sigh before continuing. "I saw it in her eyes, ok. She told me to get away, so I did, until…" he trailed off.

"Until?" Alex asked, eyebrows raised.

"I heard her whimper. I turned on the spot and saw her backpedaling with a deep gash on her shoulder. Landon had pulled out a switchblade and went to attack again but she dodged and practically bit his arm off. His two friends that had been watching cut in and kicked Gabriella out of the way as they escaped. Before he left Landon said, and I quote." Troy cleared his throat, mimicking as much as possible the deep and scratchy voice of Landon Fury. "The next time we meet Walker, I will kill you."

"So he knew she was a Walker?" Alex asked.

"It seemed like it." Troy answered. "After Landon left Gabriella kind of just limped away. So I followed, hell, I wanted to know what had just happened. I found her in an alleyway three blocks from the theater, in human form, hurt and barley conscious. I took her to Chad's," Troy nodded his head to his right, towards Chad. "Because his parents were out of town and I didn't want any trouble. When I got to his house, Taylor was there and she helped patch Gabriella up." Troy licked his lips, swallowing the saliva in his mouth to quench his dry throat.

Estella gave a small smile towards Taylor. "If that's true, I thank you for taking care of her Taylor. You always seem to be the one she ends up with."

Taylor blushed. "She's my best friend. I was just glad I could help."

"So the true question is," Reid mused out loud. "Did Landon recognize Gabriella as being your daughter, Alex."

"He had to have." Alex sighed, shaking his head. "She's the only Walker with white fur that I know of. I knew it would be trouble one day."

"So, what do we do now?" Blaine asked form his corner.

Alex ran both of his hands over his face, sighing heavily. When the father looked up, Troy was startled at how old her looked. There were dark bags under his eyes from countless nights of not sleeping. "I'm tired of running. I'm tired of making Gabriella movie from place to place just as she's gotten settled down." He looked to Troy, his dark eyes sad. "I can't do it again. Not when she's found true friends here."

"Then why are you forbidding us to talk to her again?" Taylor asked in a confused and annoyed voice.

"It's for your safety as much as ours. If you continue to have a connection with my daughter, the werewolves will us you against us. Much like they tried to use Troy against Gabriella. It's for the best." Alex explained.

"Can we at least say goodbye?" Chad asked, though he was not going to give up so easily. The three of them would talk to Gabriella at school to try and figure the whole situation out.

"She's just outside the front door," Alex nodded his head and pointed. "Make it quick."

Troy exited the kitchen as the family of Walkers started to talk among themselves. His fists were clenched at his side as he made his way towards the front door. Alex had no right to ban them from ever seeing or talking to Gabriella. Who the hell did he think he was! He opened the front door, Taylor and Chad at his back.

He was assaulted by the cold night, and the small sniffs from the black haired girl on the front steps. His eyes softened as his hands went to his pockets. He cleared his throat and she spun around on the spot, her hand moving up to wipe the teas from her cheek.

He reached forward as he crouched down in front of her, his thumb stroking away the stray tears on her cheek. "It's going to be ok, Gabby."

"How can you say that." She was shaking her head. "I have to do what my father says. I can't see you anymore. Any of you."

"We'll figure this out." Taylor reassured, placing a delicate hand on her best friends shoulder. Gabriella stood up and smothered her friend in a tight hug. "We'll see you at school." Taylor said patting her back. The two pulled away and Chad hugged Gabriella next, then, they both said their goodbyes and headed for their cars.

Troy turned back to Gabriella as her forehead slammed into his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, gripping him like she was never going to let go. "I don't think I'll be able to handle not ever seeing you again."

"That's not going to happen." He said stoking the top of her head.

"Promise." She whispered into his shoulder.

"I Promise." He answered kissing her forehead.

Troy pulled away from the hug, resting his forehead against hers as he stared into her deep chocolate eyes. For a moment, just a moment, everything stopped. Nothing mattered but her. He was consumed by her presence, breathing in the strawberry shampoo she used to wash her hair with. He smelled the faint hint of the perfume he had gotten her for Christmas on her neck. He wasn't in danger when he was in her arms. He was safe.

Her fathers voice killed the moment, and she groaned and rolled her eyes. "I guess its time for me to leave." He kissed her lips and for a moment, he couldn't breath. But they broke apart, their mouth half open. Neither one of them wanted or was ready to say goodbye.

"I'll see you at school." Gabriella smiled as he nodded his head. She watched his make his way towards his green truck, his hand lingering on Blaine's car as he passed it. She turned and went into her house as he sped away.

Shutting the door behind her, she turned only to find her father standing in front of her, arms crossed.

"I'm not going to make you leave Albuquerque." He held up a hand before she could give a smart-ass comment. "But I _am_ withdrawing you from East High."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

It didn't take long before Troy was pulling into his driveway. There weren't any lights on in his house, but he figured his parents were already in bed. He pulled his sweatshirt tighter over his shoulders as he walked towards his front door. He fumbled with his door keys for a moment, enough for him to realize that his front door was cracked open.

He cocked his head to the side. _What?_

He pushed his door open slightly, and his whole world came crashing down. The Persian rug that welcomed anyone who entered was torn to shreds, claw marks evident on the few pieces of remaining fabric.

_No._

"MOM!" he yelled, his blue eyes frantic. "DAD!"

Nothing.

He cautiously made his way through the archway the lead into his kitchen. His breath caught, when he saw his tipped kitchen table. The flower vase that was normally on his islands was shattered on the floor, the water making the white tile shine slightly. He reached for the light switch on the wall next to his phone, flicking the switch.

Nothing.

He stepped towards the turned kitchen table, peering over the edge. He choked at the sight of his mother's unmoving body lying on the other side. Her mouth was slightly open, a gash running from the bottom of her chin to the top of her ear still bleeding. Her right arm was bent at an awkward angle behind her back, signifying that it was defiantly broken. He scampered around the table, crouching next to her.

"Mom." he shook her shoulders gently. "Mom?"

Nothing.

He pressed his two fingers to the groove just under her chin, the carotid artery. He hated the action, but was relieved when he found a strong pulse. He sighed and looked around. "DAD!" he called. His eyes scanned the kitchen one last time, finding no sign of his father.

He ran into his living room, the darkness making him squint his eyes. What he found would be burned into him mind for all eternity. His father was lying on his stomach on the floor, their large cedar bookshelf pinning him to the floor. He gasped, his body moving towards his father automatically. He tried to lift the bookshelf, but even with half the contents spewed across the floor, the object was still solid wood. He grunted, cursing into the open air as he dropped to his hands and knees.

His father had a large gash running across his forehead, no doubt from hitting the floor with force and blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth and nose. That's all Troy could make out, the bookshelf hiding most of his fathers body. He frantically looked up, as if help was going to burst through his front door any minute. But what his blue eyes saw only made anger boil in his blood. On the wall across from the TV, someone had written words that would haunt him forever. The words were written in a red substance that was still wet, the bottom of the words dripping down the white wall.

**Welcome to the War Troy Bolton.**

The words had been written in blood, his parent's blood.

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**(Review! I know, I know, it's been a while, and I really have no excuse to give you. Just a promise that it will never (most likely) happen again. So, enjoy and the next will be coming out soon!)**


	10. Taken

_LAST TIME-_

_His father had a large gash running across his forehead, no doubt from hitting the floor with force and blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth and nose. That's all Troy could make out, the bookshelf hiding most of his fathers body. He frantically looked up, as if help was going to burst through his front door any minute. But what his blue eyes saw only made anger boil in his blood. On the wall across from the TV, someone had written words that would haunt him forever. The words were written in a red substance that was still wet, the bottom of the words dripping down the white wall._

**_Welcome to the War Troy Bolton._**

_The words had been written in blood, his parent's blood._

* * *

"Is what we believe always the truth?"

- **Jodi Picoult**

* * *

The sliding doors opened for Gabriella as she made her way towards the hospital reception desk. She felt Blaine's tense form behind her and didn't blame his dislike of the place. They both hated hospitals. The combined smells of strong antiseptic and blood deadened their noses. Walkers were the most vulnerable in places that had strong smells.

"Jack and Lucille Bolton?" She asked the blond receptionist.

"Are you family?" She asked, glancing up from her Cosmo magazine that was hidden under the keyboard on the computer.

"I'm their son's girlfriend." At the mention of the word "girlfriend", the young blonde's face tightened. Gabriella ignored it and continued. "He just called me and I came as soon as I could."

"I'm sorry," blondie forced a fake smile. "Only family members are allowed back right now."

Gabriella opened her mouth to argue, but Blaine put a delicate, but firm hand on her shoulder. She looked back over at him and arched an eyebrow.

"Now, Gabriella," he gave a very glowing, but masculine smile to the receptionist, who if she weren't sitting down, would have gone weak at the knees. "You can't blame this young woman for doing her job."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as the blond blushed strongly.

Blaine leaned closer, drawing her attention. "But I do have to stress how important it is to see the Bolton's. You see, their son Troy and my cousin here have been going through some rough times, and now with the baby coming," he shook his head in mock distress, sighing. "_This_ happens."

"She's pregnant?" Blondie asked, hand over her mouth. Gabriella crossed her arms across her chest and shifted under the receptionists prodding stare.

"About three weeks now." Blaine answered. "She just found out a couple days ago."

"Do the father's parents know? Troy's parents I mean? Does Troy know?" She had her elbows on the desk, her magazine hidden underneath the keyboard forgotten as she paid full attention to Blaine's lie.

The green-eyed man sighed. "The Bolton's are very, how should I put this? Old fashion I guess is what you can call it. Gabriella has been trying to think of a way to tell them, and then they get attacked in their own home." Blaine shook his head. "It's just all very stressful."

"That's terrible." Blondie whispered in a sympathetic voice. Her eyes were still focused on Blaine with a dreamy stare.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. Blaine was an expert with sob stories, but she whished that he would keep her and the word pregnant out of the same sentence. The fact that the blond receptionist was buying every word made Gabriella roll her eyes again. What was the world coming to? This blond had information on every patient in the hospital at the click of a mouse and here she was flirting with a complete stranger.

You want to know what else blondie had? The common scenes of plankton. For the past minute, Gabriella had watched with amused eyes as a spider cruised up the woman's white lab coat. The eight-legged arachnid now rested on her white collar, paused as if it were having trouble deciding which way to go. Give plankton-brain a heads-up? Screw it. The woman was frustrating as hell and Gabriella had to try physically to keep her IQ from dropping ten points.

"So, do you see our urgency?" Blaine asked in a soft voice. Gabriella shifted back to her cousin for a second, and then back to the spider, it had vanished beneath plankton's collar. "We have to be with Troy in his time of need, especially Gabriella here." He stood up and gestured towards Gabriella.

Gabriella forced a smile, trying to keep a slightly depressed face. "I really need to be with him."

"Of course, of course." Plankton-brain nodded her head, agreeing as her fingers assaulted the keyboard. "You can just go straight back down that hallway, to the end, turn a left and their in room 1414." She stood leaning over the desk as she pointed down the left hall. Gabriella started walking, Blaine right behind her.

"I hope everything goes well." Plankton smiled as Gabriella turned; her hands shoved in her jean pockets. "With Troy and the baby that's coming."

"There's a spider on your collar." Gabriella replied in a flat tone. She stayed just long enough to hear plankton-brain yelp in surprise, her hands moving with superhuman speed to her collar. She turned and joined Blaine who was halfway down the hall.

"Why did you tell her?" He whined, a smile on his face. He stepped in stride next to her as she passed. "I wanted to see if she was going to notice."

"Something tells me she wasn't." Gabriella glared at him. "Oh, and by the way. Pregnant?! I look pregnant?!"

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Don't answer that." She snapped, not amused at his jokes. "Next time, try to keep me and the word "pregnant" out of the same sentence. Can you do that?"

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Blaine shrugged, turning the corner at the end of the hallway.

Gabriella went to argue, but the moment she spotted the blond man at the end of the hallway, all her anger was drained. "We'll finish this discussion later." She replied without even turning to him.

"I'll give you some time alone." Her cousin's voice was filled with sympathy. She appreciated it.

She nodded slightly, walking towards Troy. Seeing him weak and vulnerable scared her. His head was in his hands, his shoulders hunched over. He had no confidence radiating off of him, only loss. She could smell that he was worried, and could see that he was shaking slightly.

He pulled away from his hands as she came closer, his eyes wide and bloodshot. She gave him a weak smile, but she was surprised when he didn't return it. His eyes just locked with hers, then his head went back into his hands.

"I came as soon as you called." She whispered, placing a hand on his back as she knelt next to him.

"They attacked them." He whispered. "They hurt them to get to me."

"I'm sorry," her grip on his shoulder tightened. "It's what they do. Their cowards, Troy. They only come at you sideways. Never form where you expect it."

There was silence as Troy rubbed at his eyes. Gabriella watched him, her eyes following him movements. Something was bothering him, something other than the conditions of his parents. "What's wrong?" she dipped her head, trying to get a good look at his face.

"I should have been there." He confessed quietly. She rolled back to her heals, sighing. He felt guilty.

"I think if you had been there," she pulled his attention away from his hands. "Things would have been much, _much_ worse."

"I could have protected them." He locked eyes with her. "I could have helped them somehow."

"Troy," she grabbed his hands delicately. "You would have only gotten hurt, and then it would be _me _standing outside _your_ hospital room."

"Maybe your father was right," his statement took the air from her lungs, blindsiding her like a Mac truck.

She jerked back. "What?"

"Maybe your dad was right," he repeated, not looking at her. "Maybe we should take some time away from each other."

"Don't say that." Gabriella stood up, shaking her head. "Everything's going to be fine."

"They came after my parents, Gabriella!" Troy stood, his eyes angry. She took a step back, his strong rage making her stomach turn.

"I can't protect you if you're not close to me." She stated.

"I don't need protection," he snapped, running his hands through his hair. "I just need some space. The doctors say may parents can get out tomorrow night. We're going to go visit my grandmother in South Carolina for a couple of weeks. Wait till this whole thing cools down."

"You can't just leave." She was on the borderline of pleading.

"I have to protect my family, Gabriella. Just like your father is protecting yours. I see now why he banned me from spending time with you. They come after your loved ones. I don't want to cause you any more trouble. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because of me." He reached up to cup her cheek with his right hand, his thumb stroking her jaw. "You are my only weakness Gabriella Montez, and I, Troy Bolton, are yours. They've figured that out."

She couldn't even remember the last time she cried. But just his touch, that was now threatening to be gone, was enough to make the tears freefall. "Please." She grabbed his hand in both of hers, closing her eyes. "Don't leave me."

"I'm sorry." His apology was almost inaudible as he dropped his hand from her cheek, walking past her. Her mind screamed at her to follow, but her body shut down. She felt her knees start to shake moments before she collapsed. Strong hands wrapped around her shoulders before she could fall completely to the ground. Hope built up in her chest for a second, maybe he, maybe he came—

"Shhhh." Blaine whispered in her ear as uncontrollable sobs attacked her body. "It's ok, you're going to be fine, Gabriella."

"No, I'm not." She managed to get out, her chest clenching painfully.

"I didn't realize how much he meant to you." Blaine turned he to face him, his hands rubbing her back soothingly.

"He's everything, Blaine." Her cousin looked at her in confusion and she explained. "He's my heart. He's what I live for. He's the air I breathe. He's everything. Nothing in my life would matter if he wasn't in it."

"Well then." Blaine smiled, lifting her up. "Lets go get your everything back."

Her cousin was pulling her down the hallway in a half run before she knew what was happening. She smiled to herself as she pulled her elbows to her sides, pumping her arms as they rounded the corner.

Plankton-brain flashed them a smile as they slowed to a trot when they entered the waiting area. Gabriella caught her breath as she looked around. No blue-eyed, blond, distressed, teen.

"He might have gone to his car." She pointed out to her cousin. The two made their way to the sliding doors, only to have a frantic woman almost run into them.

"Help!" she yelled frantically, running up to the blond receptionist. "Call the cops, I just witnessed a kidnapping!"

Without thinking, Gabriella dashed outside. She was immediately assaulted with Troy's scent, distressed and confused. She then smelt another as Blaine exited the hospital. Landon Fury's scent was everywhere, covering up everything. It made her stomach heave, and she fought he strong urge to gag.

Gabriella's stomach dropped to her knees. "We need to get home." She glanced to her cousin. "Now."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"This is exactly what I was afraid of." Alex paced at the top of the kitchen table. "This is exactly why I said you couldn't see him."

"You didn't know this was going to happen." Gabriella snapped back at her father, crossing her arms. "Whether you knew it or not isn't what I'm worried about. What are we going to do about Troy?"

"Are we going to go save him?" Reid asked from next to his sister.

"It would be to dangerous." Alex answered.

"We aren't just going to leave him." Gabriella stated. Her father's silence made her shift to her feet. "Dad, we _are_ going to go get him."

"He isn't my problem." The Alpha locked eyes with his daughter. "I need to worry about my family's safety, and going to try and get him back would do more harm than good."

"You can't be serious?" She laughed at him, eyes wide.

"I'm dead serious." Alex replied. "And you will listen to me."

"You're unbelievable." Gabriella snarled. "It's _my_ fault he got dragged into this. It's _my_ fault his parents got attacked. It's _my_ fault that he's going to die if we don't do anything."

"I'm sorry, Gabriella." Her fathers jaw was tight. "My hands are tied. There's nothing I can do. I have to protect the safety of the pack."

Gabriella let out a choked laugh, feeling tears brimming. She wasn't going to let her family see her weak and crying, so she turned on her heals and made her way to the porch outside in the backyard.

Alex watched her turn and leave, his body automatically going forward to stop her. Blain's hand on his arm made him stop and turn to his second in command.

"Let her vent a little," Blaine said. "She's been through one hell of an emotional day."

"I'm glad you where there to look out for her. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else." Alex paused as if remembering something. He then placed a delicate hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Your father would have been proud. You've helped me so much, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Thank you." Blaine gave a sad smile, remembering the last moments he spent with his father.

"He was a good man." Alex broke the silence. "An even better best friend." Blaine smiled, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. Alex dismissed himself, the twins leaving shortly after for the TV room.

A picture of Alex popped into Blaine's head, making the young man's blood boil. "I wish I could call you a good man, Alexander Montez. I wish I could call you an even better best friend." Blaine paused, basking in the silence. "But I can't."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Gabriella took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears flowing silently from her eyes. She was sitting down on the steps leading to her back porch, her knees pulled up to her chest as she thought. How could her father not go and get Troy. He never left friends behind.

The rustling of leaves caught her attention, and she stood when someone parted the branches of a large pine tree.

"What's wrong princess?" Landon Fury sneered at her. "No knight in shining armor to protect you?"

"What the hell?!" She could almost hear the climatic music in the background as Landon inched towards her. It was safe to say, she was _not_ expecting him to come out into the open like this. Why was he there? What was he planning?

"What are you doing?" She asked him, slightly confused. "Have you come to give up?"

He laughed at her and she growled in response. "Give up? To your kind?" He raised his eyebrows. "Not a chance."

"Then why are you wasting my time?" She snapped.

"I didn't know that hearing about your beloved Troy's condition was wasting your time." He smiled when her eyes grew wide. "I'm sorry, I guess I'll just take my leave." He turned in a split second, running back into the forest that bordered her backyard.

It was funny because Gabriella didn't even think twice. Didn't even think about her father's words or the fact that it wasn't safe. All she thought about was Troy. His smile that could make her go weak at the knees and forget how to breathe. The growing hair that she had been nagging and nagging him to cut. His adorable lopsided grin that she might not get to see again.

It wasn't even a question.

She followed.

"Bastard." She growled, sprinting after the werewolf. "I'm going to kill you if you've hurt Troy."

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**(Review! Please!)**

**Author's Notes**: So, the next couple of chapters are long. And when I say long, I mean, 24 pages in word, over 8,000 words long. Is that ok? I really don't want to cut them in half, but if you guys don't want to read that much, then just tell me and I will. Though they are eventful, so I think you could get through it rather fast. I have faith.


	11. What Matters

**Author's Notes: **Part of this chapter is my take on Death, or rather; the contemplation of Death between loved ones. I've seen a lot of people write about it; so I decided to give it a go, tie it along with the story. I actually spent days and days trying to perfect it, which I don't even think it is perfected, but I wanted to get it (kind of) right, so please don't criticize it _too_ much.

Also, if you are reading this story, drop a review. Even if it just says good job, because I live for that stuff. Really, you guys make my day a whole lot better when I realize you like my stories. This chapter is kind of long, but it's the next one that's the 8,000 words one. Have fun. Drop a review. Keep reading.

But anyways, next chapter. Enjoy!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

_LAST TIME-_

_It was funny because Gabriella didn't even think twice. Didn't even think about her father's words or the fact that it wasn't safe. All she thought about was Troy. His smile that could make her go weak at the knees and forget how to breathe. The growing hair that she had been nagging and nagging him to cut. His adorable lopsided grin that she might not get to see again._

_It wasn't even a question._

_She followed._

"_Bastard." She growled, sprinting after the werewolf. "I'm going to kill you if you've hurt Troy."_

* * *

"**The way to love anything is to realize that it might, one day, be lost."**  
- Gilbert K. Chesterton

* * *

The rustling of leaves.

That's all it took to make Gabriella freeze, her body going rigid. Her claws dug into the soft earth of the forest floor, ready for a quick change of direction. Slowly, her chocolate eyes narrowed and she turned her head, looking over her furry shoulder and past her tail towards the source of the sound.

It didn't come again. That would have been too much to hope for. That would have been too easy. She was lucky to have heard Landon at all. She was playing a deadly game of cat and mouse with a werewolf, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she was the mouse.

Moving on soundless paws, she changed direction, slipping off between the tall, smooth trunks of the pine trees. The setting sun cut through the canopy of the pine needles in little bursts, blinding her for a second and then disappearing.

Sweat ran from the top of her brow, through her white fur and down to run across her face. She blinked it away, squinting as the salty bead stung her eyes. She shook her head and sneezed silently. She couldn't afford any distractions right now. Landon was too dangerous for anything lees than her total concentration.

Circling around, sliding past the narrow, willowy waists of the pine trees, she trotted lightly through the forest. If she was careful, perhaps she could get behind him. After all, Landon would be expecting her to keep on heading in the same direction. He didn't know that she had heard him. Coming up on the spot where she'd heard the noise, her teeth and claws ready, she pushed back a clump of pine needles with her nose and looked.

Nothing.

Nothing was there, except a squirrel, foraging for nuts in the dirt and grass around the roots of a tall pine tree. It stood up on its hind legs as she emerged from the bushes, large black eyes fixed on her amid the brown fur of its face, head cocked to one side. It chirruped at her, then streaked up the trunk of the tree, spiraling around it to the upper branches, its long tail flowing after.

_If not here?_ Gabriella thought in confusion._ Then where…?_

Her breathing stilled to almost nothing. The sound of the air passing from her nose seemed too loud. In the gentle rustle of the forest, amid the cries of the birds and the chattering of the squirrels that lived in the trunks of the pine trees, she listened.

There was a rumbling coming from behind her, so low it was almost inaudible, but getting louder fast. _Faster_. She whipped her head around frantically, but the forest was as calm as it had been before. _So where? Where was it coming from?_

She looked up to the branches above her, caught in the sinking moment of realization, and suddenly she knew what was happening.

The branches above her burst open in a shower of wood, but she was already jumping backwards through the air and landing ten feet away, her teeth bared and claws ready. The shape landed, touching the ground and then darting back to the trees. A hush descended on the forest. Poised, she waited among the falling splinters of wood, eyes searching for Landon's next move.

For a time there was silence, broken only by the occasional thuds of wood as they landed all around her. Then a deep growl emerged from the branches of the forest trees above her, and a huge mass jumped down, its legs bending like shock absorbers as it landed on the soft earth. Her wide eyes caught Landon as he came into view. First his head, sharp teeth and amused eyes, then his shoulders, broad shoulders as big as her full body. He stood on two feet, his legs extending as he towered over her, his silver gray fur standing on end with excitement. He shook himself off, twigs and bark falling from his massive shoulders, and then he let out a body-shaking, amused laugh.

Gabriella took a step back, growling an amazed oath under her breath. Landon stood at least eight feet tall, a thing of muscle and power, with wide, trunk-like feet and huge massive hands. His ears perked and danced around in the silence, his body shaking with adrenaline for the coming battle. His eyes were little more than black pits of hell, and they followed her cruelly as she backed away. His mouth was a jagged pit of canines, sharp and long. They were stained a light yellow. He had used them before. She didn't want to know what for.

Landon Fury. The biggest werewolf she'd ever seen.

"You can't escape now, Gabriella!" He growled, showing his fangs. "Time for a little payback!"

Gabriella only had a moment to blink in surprise before a fist bigger than her head came swinging at her, faster than she had expected. She'd never heard of a human in werewolf form talking before, it threw her off. She howled in shock, flinging herself aside and rolling as it crashed into the ground where she had been a second before, making the earth shake.

She had barley gained her bearings before a second swing came her way with a force that could pulverize rocks. She flung herself down, feeling the werewolf's fist whistle by inches above her head, blowing her fur with the wind that trailed the blow.

_This is bad. He's too fast!_ She thought, dodging another wild swing that slammed into a tree and blew it to smithereens. Landon was pounding her under a constant barrage, never letting her get her bearings, forcing her to duck and weave just to stay out of his grip. And sooner or later, she was going to make a mistake, and that would be the end. She had to come up with a plan; she was running out of time, and luck.

Again and again; narrow misses swiping past her, making her back off, not giving her room to swipe her claws or bit down on his unprotected hand. She was panting, her tongue falling out of her mouth as she tried to get away, get enough breathing space to……

Her thought was cut short by a half buried rock, catching her back right paw and making her stumble backwards, off balance.

_Shit._

She turned her body a split second before Landon's fist slammed into her. She had managed to twist away enough to lesson the point of impact, his fist just skimming her stomach, but that still didn't mean it didn't hurt. She was thrown off her four paws, hurtling through the forest. She hit the ground and the force of her impact made her bounce and roll in mid air until she came down again. The third bounce kept her on the ground and she slid until a tree trunk at her back stopped her. A shallow groan escaped her slightly open mouth, which sounded too much like a pained whimper for her liking.

"This is rather disappointing," Landon growled, casually walking towards her. However casual a werewolf looked walking on its hind legs. "I thought you would be more of a challenge than this, being Alexander Montez's daughter and all."

_Okay_. She thought impatiently. _Enough._

She stayed on the ground, running plan upon plan through her head. She couldn't get close to him; he was to fast and to powerful and she couldn't risk actually taking a blow full on, that would be the end of her. But maybe if she played like she was really down for the count, he might let her get close enough to get a strike in. Maybe he would let down his guard just long enough for his ego to take control.

Playing dead wasn't as hard as she thought it would be. There was something wrong with her elbow, and her chest hurt every time she breathed. All of those pains were minor though; she was _not_ going to let him get away with taunting her and insulting her father and family.

"My father will reward me for this." Landon's rough voice was just above her, and like she had hoped for, his guard was completely dropped. _Now, or never_. She thought. Her eyes snapped open, her body lunging off the ground as she sank her finger length canines into the werewolf's neck. She bit down hard as he roared, both of his massive hand grabbing her around the stomach. His nails dug into her sides as he tried to pull her away, but she wasn't letting go. She tasted blood in her mouth as he tried to pull her away again, this time stronger. She was ripped away, but she left deep gashes in her wake.

Landon dropped her to the forest floor, his massive hands grasping at his torn throat. A feral grin spread across Gabriella's face, he wasn't going to be able to stop the bleeding. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, his eyes rolled back into his head and he crashed backward to the ground, where he stayed and didn't move.

_The bigger they are, the harder they fall_. She laughed to herself. Her mouth dropped open as she took deep breaths, calming her racing heart. The aches and pains were starting to surface, but she had to keep the adrenalin surging through her body, it was her only fuel.

Then, squinting her eyes, she released a melodic howl of warning with all her might, praying it would reach her father and mothers ears. She was off in a second, running through the forest to Troy.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Troy's eyes snapped open when he heard the shattering of branches and his heart clenched in fear when he felt the earth tremble from a massive force. He got to his feet in a confused haze. The clearing he was standing in was deserted, but he knew his enemy was hiding somewhere in the trees. They wouldn't have kidnapped him and then just left him without watching.

_A forest?……Great, no help._

Troy looked around cautiously. It was possibly the scariest moment of his life. Singing in front of Miss. Darbus was no longer number one on his list. The thought made him smile, despite himself and his situation.

"I'm glad you find this amusing." It was a ringing, calm and silky voice that flowed out from the dense forest.

He turned around, his eyes trying to find the owner of the voice. "I do what I can to pass the time. Old memories normally help. Besides, doesn't your life flash before your eyes right before you die? I might as well get a head start."

"Don't be so anxious." It was laughed. "The moment will come when the time is right."

"Why don't you just get it over with?" He turned around and froze when another earth shaking force rocked the ground.

There was a pause, then the voice spoke again, ignoring his question and asking its own. "What does Gabriella mean to you? Was it worth knowing her after all this? Was she worth risking your parent's lives? Was she worth risking yours?"

He snorted. The voice in the darkness was annoying as hell, although it had just started talking. He hated bad guys that wanted to know everything about their victim. Only sissy villains cared about all the useless information of their target. It meant that they cared; it meant that they were human. Troy hated thinking that the voice in the darkness might have been, at one time, a good person. He hated admitting the fact that the world was so screwed up that it could contaminate and change the most innocent of human beings.

"Why do you care?" he said flatly, crossing his arms.

"Don't give me that, Troy." The voice sounded aggravated and spoke with familiarity. "Answer the question."

"What does Gabriella mean to me?" Troy asked aloud, running a hand over his mouth. He then turned to the spot where the question had radiated from. "She's everything."

"Everything?" the voice sounded confused and somewhat surprised. "Explain."

"I can't really explain it." He stated shrugging his shoulders. "Nothing in my life would matter if she weren't in it. She is worth everything I have. I would be incomplete without her. She's the air I breath, she every single ounce of love in my heart. All I can say is that I would give my life to keep her safe, or to keep her from harm."

"Don't be stupid." The voice was critisizing. "Death is the end to everything. Your past and your chances of a future would be lost in an instant. You'll have no second chance to get it back." Silence spread over the clearing for a second until the voice continued. "If I have learned anything in my lifetime, it is that no one is worth your life. _No one_."

"Then you've never been in love." Troy said calmly. He had told the truth. He would give his life to protect Gabriella's. Whether the mysterious voice chose to believe him or not, that was its choice. A familiar holw cut through the dense forest, making Troy whipp around.

"The princess cometh." The voice sounded distant, echoing through the open space Troy was standing in.

Gabriella entered seconds after the howel, her whith fur slightly dirty, her tongue hanging out of her open mouth. She shifted in an instant and was in his arms seconds after. She was kissing him before he knew what was happeneing. His hands went to her cheeks and he found that she was crying. He whipped away the tears as they pulled apart, a large smile on his face.

"I found you." She smiled.

"I knew you would." He replied.

"I'm so glad that you could join us, Gabriella." Troy felt the voice at his back, but didn't turn. Instead, his grip tightened on Gabriella's upper amrs. He knew the voice, but couldn't place it with a face through his fear filled mind.

It was then that she stiffened at the familiar voice and a deep growl escaped her lips. Gabriella's eyes were flashing like flint. She had swung Troy's body behind her, her form slightly crouched as if she was ready to strike.

Troy's blue eyes went wide. He was staring at a very familiar body, and he rolled his eyes slightly. He felt so stupid that he hadn't recognized the voice before, it was so easy. He was staring into the emerald green eyes of Blaine O'Connell. The cousin took a step forward, but Gabriella growled again, her body crouching another fraction of an inch.

"Come now, Gabriella," Blane whispered. "There's no need to show your teeth. I wish you no harm."

"Blaine." she growled.

"Surprised?" Her cousin smiled.

The smile. It showed the cream colored scar just under his chin that Troy had failed to recognize when he had first met the man. It twisted half an inch up his cheek with the crooked smile. But it was sad, the smile, and the scar so tragic-looking that Blaine appeared more like a sane man that had lived a hard life than a crazed warrior.

A sane man that had betrayed his entire family, his entire race for that matter.

"Yes. Very." Gabriella answered, still not dropping her guard. "But I have only one question……Why?"

"The ever famous "why" question." Blaine laughed, tapping his chin with his fingers. "Tell me something. Does everything that happens have to have a reason? Why can't someone do something drastic and not have people hounding him for a reason why? There never has to be a motive. People just do shit because they want to." He shrugged at Gabriella and Troy's blank stares before continuing. "The most common answer people give to that question, Gabriella, is Revenge. I am no different."

"Revenge?" Gabriella asked, her head slightly cocking to one side.

Blaine eyed her suspiciously. "Strange. You don't remember?" Gabriella grew silent, her confusion growing. Her cousin then let out a laugh, his chest shaking. "Of course you don't. How could I have forgotten, you were practically dead at the time."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella had forgotten all about the danger her cousin had brought. She had completely dropped her guard at the remark, her hand shaking slightly at her sides.

"Has your father ever elaborated on the subject of your change?" Again Gabriella radiated silence. "No, he hasn't, has he. That would expose him for what he truly is."

"And what is that, _Cousin_?" Gabriella regained her bearings in an instant. Anyone insulting her father deserved her full attention. She would protect his name because he would protect hers.

"He's a murderer." It was said so simply that Troy had to think about what he had just heard, or if he had really heard it at all.

"Shut up." Gabriella growled, her body dropping into a ready crouch.

"Alexander Montez killed my father." Blaine sneered, his teeth showing from beneath his lips.

"Liar!" Troy was to slow to stop her forward burst.

But Blaine was expecting it.

The cousin sidestepped and backpedaled as Gabriella fell face first to the ground where he had been seconds before. The palm of her hands had cut open and bled, but she was up and on her feet in an instant, her bloody hands clenched into fists of rage at her sides.

"I was sick." She said through clenched teeth. "That's why my father changed me. He had to heal me."

"You where shot and dying." Blaine replied with a smile, egging her on. "And it was the only hope of saving you."

"You're lying." Gabriella said in a firm voice.

"Then why are you sweating?" He asked. "Afraid that what I'm saying might be true."

"I still don't understand." Gabriella started circling her cousin, and he moved as well. "Why kidnap Troy?"

"I thought that would have been obvious by now." Blaine shrugged. "I told Landon to kidnap him because I knew it would bring you, which in turn, will bring your father. It all comes back to the concept of Revenge."

"You're just like the werewolves." Gabriella snarled, her body back in front of Troy protectively. "It makes me sick to think that I'm related to you."

"And it makes my blood boil to think that my father had so much trust in yours." Blaine snarled taking a step forward.

"Troy," Gabriella turned her head slightly to look back at him. "Back away."

"I'm not going to--."

"Troy." She snapped, her eyes flashing with the smallest of rage. "Let me protect you."

"Isn't that my job?" He stated reaching for her hand. She turned her body more, reaching for his hand.

"Not today." She gave him a tragic smile, her hand tightening slightly around his. She took a step forward as he backed off, taking steps to get him away from the battleground.

"I'm not going to fight you, Gabriella." Blaine smiled, one of his hands scratching the back of his head. "I'm just waiting for Alex to follow you."

"Are you going to let me leave with Troy?" She asked flatly.

"No."

"Then this is the only option." She lunged forward, Blaine sidestepping as the white wolf landed on four paws where he had been only moments before. Gabriella bared her long canines as her cousin's smile turned dark.

"So, that's how you're going to play." His voice was dangerously level and it was his turn to attack. He shot forward, his long teeth trying to sink into her front right leg. Gabriella jumped back, only to burst forward, shifting human as she landed a punch to the side of Blaine's face.

The cousin fell back, one of his hands rubbing the side of his cheek. He glared at Gabriella. "You're serious."

"You came after Troy." She stated simply. "What were you expecting?"

The two crashed together, Blaine throwing a punch that Gabriella dodged. She thrust a quick jab to his midsection, but he backpedaled out of reach. She pursued him, throwing a vicious kick to his head. The blow sent Blaine spinning to the ground, dust puffing up around his fallen body. Gabriella went forward, drawing back a fist, but Blaine was on his feet in a second, his fist landing hard into Gabriella stomach. She doubled over, the air shooting from her lungs. Blaine snapped a quick kick to the side of her head that sent her to the ground.

"You are a confusing young woman." Blain watched as Gabriella pushed herself up. "I don't understand why you fight so hard to protect him." He looked past her and sized Troy up. "He doesn't look like much to me."

Gabriella roared, lunging at her cousin. She was a blur; her teeth sinking into his shoulder as they both went down in a flail of limbs and white fur. Troy could hear Blaine cursing strongly as he tried to pry Gabriella's jaws from his shoulder. The action only made her claws dig deeper into his chest. He cursed, the next moment making Troy's stomach flip. He reared his head back, opening his mouth as he bit down on one of Gabriella's legs pinning his chest. For the briefest of seconds, the picture was Blaine, in human form, biting the leg of a wolf. It made him look desperate. But he changed a beat after, large, dark brown fur taking over the space his human body had occupied.

His teeth crashed together over the joint in Gabriella's front right leg, and Troy heard the bone in his girlfriend's elbow shatter under the pressure. She withdrew her teeth from her cousin's shoulder with a howl and tried desperately to get out of his grip. Whimpering and whining she tried to jerk away, but it only caused her more pain as he held her. She shifted and her left fist slammed into the side of his face over and over again. They were desperate blows.

The third blow knocked her cousin's teeth loose from her arm and the two scampered away from one another. Gabriella was crouched on one knee, her left hand holding the joint of her right elbow, the limb hanging loosely at her side, blood slipping from the spaced teeth marks. Blaine's eyes were fuming as he ran his hand over the puncture wounds in his shoulder, winching.

"I'm done with this kiddy shit." His voice was dangerously low, his left hand moving to the back of his jeans. He withdrew a black handgun, a feral grin spreading across his face.

"That's cheating." Gabriella stated.

"You know me, Gabriella." Blaine raised the gun. "I never did play fair."

Troy could hear his heartbeat in his head. He was going to watch her die; he wasn't going to be able to do anything. He was probably the only one that saw her flinch; she turned away a fraction of an inch, the corner of her eyes locking with his. A sinking realization made his heart stop, his chest constricting painfully.

The gun was pointed at him.

Gabriella noticed. "What are you doing, Blaine?"

"I need you alive, Gabriella." He showed the tragic smile again. "You have two choices. Option A: you can refuse to come with me and I will shoot your boyfriend in front of your eyes. Option B: you agree to come with me and he walks out of this whole situation unscathed." Blaine paused. "Your choice."

Gabriella was silent. Troy could feel her shifting; her left hand was shaking at her side, her right unmoving. He tried to summon the image of running. Tried to protect it, thinking it over and over in his head. Maybe if he concentrated enough on her running, her leaving him, maybe she would understand it. She had to see it in his eyes; she had to understand that he wasn't worth it. His life for hers, which would be filled with eternal suffering, torment and pain. He wasn't worth it, not if she had to go through that.

He wasn't even supposed to be in this damn war! It wasn't fair that he was already being used against his loved ones.

Blaine's patience was starting to wear thin. "Choose Gabriella!" he shouted, his thumb adding the needed pressure to the back of the handgun, cocking it. Troy flinched away, letting the littlest of a whimper escape his lips. He couldn't block out the almost inaudible growl that met his ears, the quick intake of breath that made him look up.

_No, no, no!_ His mind screamed as he saw her chocolate eyes flash with uncertainty. He had made the fatal mistake. He had shown he was scared. _Don't listen! Don't do it!_

But it was too late. Gabriella caught his blue eyes and seemed to collapse in upon herself. She would protect him, even if it meant her happiness. Even if it meant her life, she would protect him.

_Please!_ Troy begged desperately, cursing himself. _Be strong Gabriella. Don't give in. Just don't gi---_

"Fine!" she caved, her voice cracking as tears slipped down her cheeks. "I'll do it. I'll go with you. Just leave him alone. Leave him out of this. He's not even supposed to be here."

"Smart choice." Blaine lowered the handgun.

'I wont let you." Troy took a step forward, Blaine's arm automatically rising up again.

"Easy, boy." His face was void of emotion. "You don't want to do anything you might regret later. If there even is a later for you."

"Troy, stop." Gabriella turned to him, her chocolate eyes telling him to stay where he was. "I'll be fine."

"I wont let him take you, Gabriella." Another step forward. "I promised myself that I wouldn't let anything happen to you because of me."

"Stubborn man!" Gabriella yelled at him. "I'm telling you that I'll be fine! Please, just let me do this!"

"You can't be fine if I'm not with you." Yet another step forward, towards her. "I know I didn't promise back then that I wouldn't leave you, but I'm promising now. I will never leave you, so you cant leave me."

"You're taking too long." Blaine leveled the gun without hesitation and fired.

It happened so fast and unexpectedly that Troy let out a painful gasp before Gabriella even moved. She watched his hands go up to cover the growing red satin on his t-shirt, falling backwards to the ground at the same time, his knees giving out.

"Now you have no reason to stay here. Lets go." Blaine lowered the gun. Big mistake. Gabriella was in front of him, her left fist smashing into the bottom of his chin with enough force to smash concrete. His head snapped skyward as she planted a powerful kick between his legs. He collapsed to his knees, blood slipping through his lips from his bit tongue. She paused for the smallest of moments, locking eyes with him. He had the guts to flash her a smile, and that did it. The earth beneath her feet shook with her pain-filled roar of agony. Her left hand grabbed the back of his head roughly, pulling his face to her knee as she brought it forward in one strong motion.

Blaine screamed. Like a littlegirl.

Gabriella let him fall backwards to the ground, watching the blood gush out of a reasonable sized gash on the bridge of his nose. She might have broken the bone and cartilage, but she could be sure. She hoped so.

"You bitch!" he yelled at her, desperate hand trying to stop the blood flow. Wounds on the face bleed profusely and took forever to clot. He was going to be in trouble if he couldn't get the blood to stop.

She snarled in response and stepped on his throat, cutting off his air. He tried to jerk towards her, but she just put more pressure on his windpipe, making him choke for air. "I'm going to kill you." The words made him stop his struggling. He looked up at her, confused. Then his chest shook……he was laughing at her. She let off pressure so he could talk, so he could explain.

"It just funny." He rasped, smiling at her.

"What's funny?" she growled.

"Its funny that that boy over there," his eyes flickered to Troy's fallen form, "confessed his love for you. And here you are choosing vengeance over his life. Its funny because your so _cruel_, Gabriella. You turn on and forget your loved ones, just like your father."

She felt as if the whole world was crashing down on her shoulders. She dropped slightly, her stance wavering. It was like the last moment had caught up with her, and her body was shutting down with the overload. Gun. Troy. Blaine. Blood. It was enough. She turned, sprinting towards Troy's fallen form.

She dropped down next to him, shaking her head as tears poured down her cheeks. The bullet had ripped through his chest dead center. But the hole was covered in so much blood that she could tell how big it was. She frantically searched his wide eyes, her good hand moving to his cheek. He smiled before choking on his own blood, the red liquid running from the corner of his mouth and down his chin. His mouth moved, but only gurgles came out and his eyes flashed with annoyance. The sinking realization hit her.

Troy was dying.

"What do I do?" she spoke the question out loud. She forced her right arm to move to cover the bullet wound, her face contorting in pain as his did.

_You know the answer to that._

She stiffened, her mind reeling.

_If you truly love him……heal him._

She hesitated for a moment. Troy wasn't a Walker, and the wound was a kill shot. He wasn't a Walker, but did that really matter? If she had the power to change his fate, would she?

_Yes._

She already knew the outcome of the healing, but it didn't matter. She was young, and only older Walkers were permitted or in severe cases, instructed to heal. The older a Walker was, the more power you had.

There are two types of energies in a human beings body. The Life Energy, and what people would consider the Soul. These two energies work simultaneously during a Walkers healing process, but the key ingredient is _how much_ Life Energy you have. People store Life Energy over their lifetime, and Walkers are taught how to access that power. If someone tried to heal a wound that required a lot of Life Energy, Life Energy they didn't have, it would kill them, most likely.

But there are flaws in the process. Walkers could heal Walkers, but some Walkers could heal humans if they were related or held a strong bond. The first step of a healing was to push ones own Soul into the wounded body, making contact and forming a bridge. Then came the Life Energy. It was pushed, sometimes forcefully if the injury was severe, into the recipient's body, forcing it to heal.

Gabriella leaned closer to Troy, her eyes locking with his. She stroked back his hair. "Troy." He blinked and focused on her. "This might hurt a little."

"What are you doing?" It was so surprised that Gabriella turned to look over her shoulder. Blain had propped himself up on his elbows, his eyes wide. She stayed quiet and his voice was firmer. She tilted her head a fraction of an inch. Was he worried? "What are you doing?" he repeated.

"Have fun in hell," was her response. She turned, shifting forms. Pain flamed up her front right leg, and she limped, keeping her balance. She pushed up Troy's shirt with her muzzle, his stomach rippling from her cold nose. She locked eyes with him one final time, and then his breath hitched and his eyes slid shut.

She put her paw on his belly button, or where she thought it would be, there was too much blood to be a hundred percent clear. She took a deep breath, her body relaxing as she pushed her Soul into him.

"**GABBY**!" Blaine frantically called to her, but it was too late. The healing had started and there was no turning back.

It was quite a paradox because she wasn't staring at Troy's death, but her own.

Her own Fatality.

Her own Infinite Darkness.

Her own Death.

They all meant the same thing, but it was a lot scarier than she ever thought it would be. Of course, she had no idea it was going to end this way. How could she? It was all so unexpected, so sudden. Yet, that's how Death and Betrayal worked. Or, it was how she assumed they worked, hand in hand, simultaneously together. Someone couldn't prepare for them, even if they had been ready, for the two hit so unexpectedly that nothing was certain.

Nothing in life was guaranteed.

She feared death; that was normal. She didn't care how strong somebody thought they were, there was always a spark of fear right before the inevitable oblivion consumed you. Everything in your life comes into question right before it ends. The spark doesn't have to be big, hell; it doesn't even have to be fear for your own life that's about to end. It could be a fear for those that are around you, fear for those who make up your life. Fear for the ones you love and cherish with every part of your heart. Fear for the ones that _truly_ matter.

How will they accept your death? How will it affect them? How will they overcome it? _Will_ they overcome it?

That's what Gabriella found herself thinking as she forced her Soul into Troy's stomach, amid the blood leaking out of the bullet hole in his chest. It was the core to every human's body, and her Soul was bridging the gap between them. Even as the power from the core of her being begun to surge through her. Even as the blood in her veins began to burn with an intensity that she had never felt before. She found herself thinking not about prolonging her own life, but that of the life of her one true love. She found herself thinking about the people who held her in such ridiculously high importance, the people she loved and who loved her back. She hoped that they could move on, without her. That they wouldn't let her death hindrance them, that they wouldn't let it hold them back physically or emotionally. It was anyone's dying wish. The most important thing: that her loved ones could learn to move on and love again, accept that she was gone and live their lives to the fullest.

Even Troy.

Yes. Especially Troy.

Even as she watched him take in a mouthful of precious air, his blue eyes shooting wide. Even as her power pushed the bullet out of the hole in his chest and closed and re-knit the muscles the shell had torn through, she locked eyes with him. There was a sign of realization in them, a glimmer of fear, not for his own life, but for hers. For he knew what she was doing, he knew what was going to happen, and his cerulean eyes shone in pure agony.

Her paw print burned into the skin of his stomach around his belly button, and she shifted back into her human form. It was the last stage of a Walkers healing; transferring ones own Life Energy that they had built up over the years. She took a sharp intake of breath as Troy's body fed on her power greedily. Her heart clenched painfully as she muttered the three words that made him truly realize the severity of the situation. She saw a flutter of disbelief and not pain flash across his perfect face. His eyes grew wider as he realized what she was saying. The words sounded too much like a goodbye, and they both knew it. His eyes flashed from disbelief to fear in a matter of seconds as the skin finally closed over the bullet hole in his chest. She tried to muster enough energy to finish the rest of her sentence, but only a small, uncontrolled whimper escaped her lips.

"Gabby, no, please." he breathed, the despair in his muscular voice cutting through her like a knife. Her heart clenched again as her muscles tightened, the feeling of complete bliss that had been suppressing the pain was fading. His hand moved slowly and shakily to her face, stroking her cheekbone as he felt her already burning skin. Her crystal tears ran across the back of his hand and down his arm. Gabriella couldn't look away, even as the blood in her veins turned to fire, ripping and roaring through her system. He saw her eyes dim as pain consumed their once innocent shine, the flowing tears stopping.

She tried again and again to get the three words out. The three most important words that she would ever say in her life, however short it was, but they wouldn't form on her lips. Only shallow gasps and whimpers escaped in her attempts. His eyes never left hers and she watched as loneliness sank into the corners of his blue orbs.

Her heart tore.

Literally.

One beat, that's all it took. The thump sounding in her temples as her breath caught in her throat. She clamped her teeth together as she toppled sideways to the ground, every muscle in her body convulsing as if she were being electrocuted. Healing him had been too much. Her own power was turning against her, tearing her apart from the inside out.

And the fear was beginning to surface.

Her breath quickened as her vision blurred. She tried to focus on Troy's eyes, the thought of him spending the rest of his life alone and miserable spread more fear through her than her own approaching death. She knew she would be the reason for his infinite unhappiness. The reason for the loneliness he was going to experience for the rest of his life. She would be the sole cause of his eternal misery. Her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest.

She wasn't sure she could be responsible for that.

She had to be strong; she had to make it through this. But there was something about their locked gazes that signified it. Something in the blue and brown eyes that set the moment in stone.

This was the end.

She sank into the awaiting darkness.

**.-.-.- Insert Really Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

(Review! Please? Pretty Please? I Know You Want To! Well, At Least I Think You Do! And Blaine's past will be explained next chapter, I think you'll like it. I know I enjoyed writing it. I think it's rather clever, but that's just me. One more question, did any of you think that it was Blaine? I know it wasn't clear, like at all. I'll probably end up rewriting that part. And what's up with Gabriella's sketchy past?)


	12. Strengths Weakness

_LAST TIME-_

_Her heart tore._

_Literally._

_One beat, that's all it took. The thump sounding in her temples as her breath caught in her throat. She clamped her teeth together as she toppled sideways to the ground, every muscle in her body convulsing as if she were being electrocuted. Healing him had been too much. Her own power was turning against her, tearing her apart from the inside out._

_And the fear was beginning to surface. _

_Her breath quickened as her vision blurred. She tried to focus on Troy's eyes, the thought of him spending the rest of his life alone and miserable spread more fear through her than her own approaching death. She knew she would be the reason for his infinite unhappiness. The reason for the loneliness he was going to experience for the rest of his life. She would be the sole cause of his eternal misery. Her heart began to pound rapidly in her chest. _

_She wasn't sure she could be responsible for that._

_She had to be strong; she had to make it through this. But there was something about their locked gazes that signified it. Something in the blue and brown eyes that set the moment in stone._

_This was the end._

_She sank into the awaiting darkness._

* * *

"**Would you give up your vengeance against the one you hated if it meant saving the one you loved?****"**

**- **Jodi Picoult

* * *

"Gabby, please! Please open your eyes! Wake up!" Troy called again, his voice frantic. He had finally managed to get feeling back in his limbs as he rolled over onto his stomach. He pushed himself to his hands and knees as he crawled over to her, his face contorted with raw emotion, his eyes full of anxiety, concern……fear. "Gabriella!"

He heard a soft whimper come from her, and he looked down into her half opened eyes. She looked so tired, so drained. Her skin was like fire to the touch, her cheeks flushed red. She was already sweating profusely, her breaths coming in shallow, desperate pants. Despite how much pain she was in, despite her situation……she smiled.

"Troy," she whispered, her voice coming out in a rasp. "I'm happy……it worked." She went to continue, but her mouth clamped shut, her body going into a fit of painful jerking. He pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms round her shoulders as he tried to keep her steady. He was rocking back and forth when he heard the pain-filled howls of her parents, his chin resting on the top of her head as he cried.

"Sorry……I shouldn't have dr-dragged you……into th-this." Her body was trembling violently, and a pained cough escaped her parched lips. She shifted in his arms, making him look down to her. "……All my fa-fault……"

"Stop that." His voice was sharp as he stroked back her already sweaty black hair. "It's not your fault."

She gave him a small smile, her eyes softening. "I'm glad you……ar-aren't leaving….…me an-anymore."

"I could never truly leave you." He shook his head, eyes watering. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I was being stupid. I was scared and I tend to blow up on the people that mean the most to me. I needed someone to blame, its what I normally do when I'm grieving, so that I could feel like I was doing something, and I'm sorry that it had to be--,"

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her lips, cutting off his apologetic rambling. He was caught off guard by how much feeling was in the action. He started crying, realizing that the moment felt too much like a goodbye. It felt like a first-last kiss. She broke away from him, her eyes blinking as his tears fell on her cheeks. She pulled him down again, her mouth resting against his ear.

"……I……love……you……" it was almost inaudible, but he felt her lips brush his ear with the words. It made the situation all the more real. He held her close as he felt her body relax in his arms. Her head dropped and rolled to rest on his chest, her eyes blinking as she tried to keep a hold on her slowly fading consciousness.

"I love you too." He whispered, tilting his head so that he could kiss the top of hers gently. "But everything's going to be alright because you're going to be fine. We're going to get through this."

"You're not……very good at……lying." she joked feebly, looking up at him with weak eyes. Her face, which normally harbored her, small, innocent, signature smile, was incredibly pale. She was shaking as if she was terribly cold, but a fresh layer of sweat glazed her brow. She was already running a fever, he could tell by her rosy cheeks and quick breaths.

His throat tightened as her teeth clenched together, her body trying to fight back another fit of painful jerking. After a few sort seconds she relaxed in his arms, fresh pants filling the air around him.

"You have to stay with me." He whispered, stroking a piece of stray hair out of her half lidded eyes. "Stay. Stay with me." He felt her head shake slightly, her eyes then sliding shut. His eyelids crashed over his blue eyes, his rocking growing stronger as he cried, and his chin resting on the top of her immobile head.

"For a Walker, healing is slow, but venomous in the extreme if you are _too young,_" Blaine stressed the words "to perform it. It works like lightning: the quick surge of power, the mortal connection, the flash of a renewed life, then, the sudden stroke of released intensity." He said flatly, though his voice shifted into something oddly like compassion. "The next couple of days will drain her life painfully slow until she reaches the end. Then, nothing."

"Fuck you." Troy snarled, his blue eyes daring the cousin to say anything more. He wasn't in the mood to listen to the cousin's fake concern. "You did this!"

Blaine backed off, raising his hands in mock surrender. His shoulder had stopped bleeding but the gash on the side of his nose was trickling the red substance. "The reaction I was expecting. But you have to accept the truth and you can't blame me; you're the one who killed her. She didn't have enough Life Energy to heal you; it is _your_ fault more than it is mine."

Troy growled, but didn't respond. He couldn't respond. He could do nothing but let silent tears escape from his blue eyes.

The ground shook slightly and Troy turned just in time to see two wolves enter the clearing. The one on the right was gray, and large, _huge_. Its eyes were dark with fury, but they swiftly changed to orbs of confusion as it found the scene in front of it. The wolf to its left was smaller, but the same color gray, if not a shade lighter. It had streaks of white in its fur and Troy realized where Gabriella's pure white coat came from.

Alexander and Estella Montez shifted in seconds; their body's going ridged at the sight of Blaine. The cousin took a cautioned step backwards, realizing that he was getting outnumbered, fast.

"Blaine?" Alex cocked his head to the side as he found the smiling face of his best friend and previous second in commands son. Troy had his back to the parents, but at the sight of Estella, he knew that she knew.

The mother sniffed, smelling the strong coppery scent of blood in the air. Her eyes shifted to Troy in concern, searching for an injury. Her throat tightened when she saw the limp legs extending from the side of the young boy and the large bloodstain on the forest floor right beside him.

"……no……" she whispered, making her husbands heart stop. He followed her gaze and was moving forward before he knew what his body was doing. Estella fell in step right behind him, tears already welling in her eyes.

The unexpected appearance of Blaine was thrown from Alex's mind as he dropped to his knees next to the boy he knew so little about. The sight made his complicated world shatter into a million pieces. The front of Troy's shirt was covered in red, drying blood, a small hole right above his heart. Only a small white circle marred the skin under the hole in the shirt and the Alpha crashed his eyebrows together in confusion.

He heard Estella hiccup beside him, his wife's breath hitching. He turned his confused eyes to the body in Troy's arms, the girl's condition automatically bringing tears to his eyes.

His daughter was shaking softly in Troy's arms, her cheeks flushed but her face pale. The collar of her gray shirt was drenched with already shed sweat, the salty liquid running free torrents down her forehead and neck. He could find no evidence of injury, but her limp left hand was stained red with what he knew and smelled to be blood.

"What happened?" he asked Troy, but the young boy just shook his head, rocking steadily back and forth. Alex bit back his anger, scanning the boy over again. The man reached forward, grabbing the bottom of the blue-eyed boy's shirt. He lifted it up and cursed strongly. A small handprint, which looked a lot like Gabriella's, was smeared in red over his bellybutton.

"She didn't." he shook his head, worried eyes glancing back down to Gabriella's sweaty face. _She's not that stupid._

"She _did_, Alex." Blaine smiled and laughed. "You should have seen her. Not even hesitating to giving up her life for his. You would've been proud."

"You did this?" Alex asked softly, standing up.

Blaine nodded his head in delight. "Well, not _technically_. But I did set some events in motion."

"You put my daughter's life at risk!" Alex was baring his teeth, the muscles across his back shaking with anger. It showed how quickly a man's personality could change. "You put your own cousin's life at risk! Your own flesh and blood! Why?"

Blaine snorted. "All wars have their innocents, Alex. You of all people should know that. You should be used to seeing your own family or friends die for you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" For the first time, Troy saw pure surprise show in Alex's dark eyes. But not all the feeling in the Alpha's dark eyes was surprise, and Troy felt confusion crawl up his spine. Was it fear?

"Don't act like you don't remember." Blaine bit out. "My father threw away his life for you, or did he really mean that _little_ to you?"

"Blaine, that time, that wasn't my fault." Alex defended himself, shaking his head.

"That was always your problem Alex. It was _never_ your fault. You'd run when you should have fought, and fought when you should have run. That time was no different." Blaine explained flatly.

"Then why tarnish your father's name? Why aligned yourself with the werewolf that killed him?" The Alpha yelled.

"Bruce Fury did not kill my father." Blaine yelled back, his emerald eyes little more than slits underneath his eyebrows. "You did."

_**.----- FLASHBACK -----.**_

_**August 7, 1995 - South Dakota – 1:30 AM**_

_Alexander Montez was sitting in the living room of his secluded cabin when it happened. His best friend and second in command, Bryce O'Connell burst through the front door, his face pale. His cheeks were rosy red, and he was panting like he had just run the 55-meter dash multiple times._

"_They're coming." His voice held warning and urgency as he went to barricade the door with the couch._

"_How long?" Alex asked, reaching for the .9 mm taped behind the TV. "Five minutes?"_

"_One minute." Bryce answered, parting the drapes so he could look out the window by the door._

_A body freezing howl cut through the cabin and surrounding woods. It wasn't a regular howl. It held rage and excitement at the same time. Other, smaller, howls followed the main one, and they told Alex that he and his pack were greatly outnumbered._

"_Werewolves." Bryce snarled, his green eyes filled with rage. "Bruce Fury is leading them. Sounds like his son's with him too. I think the little shits name was Landon or something like that."_

"_Dad, what's going on?" a seventeen-year-old Blaine asked from the top of the stairs. Alex's heart clenched as his eyes grew wide. He had to get his family to safety!_

_Bryce went to answer his son, but a bullet ripped through the front door, making the father drop to the floor. Blaine yelped in surprise as more bullets came through the wood of the door, spraying and destroying the steps at the teen's feet. He waited for a pause in gunfire before tumbling down the stairs to join his father. Snarls and howls lead the way to more gunfire as the three men were pinned._

"_We need to get to the tunnels in the basement." Alex ordered, his hands flying to cover his head as the wooden door started to splinter. "I didn't think that they would fine us so fast."_

"……_Daddy……?" time stopped as Alex turned, his eyes going wide as they fell upon the form of his five-year-old daughter. She held a teddy bear the size of half her body in her left hand, her right rubbing the sleep form her tired eye. "What's going---?"_

"_Gabby!" Alex yelled, waving his hand. "Go back to your mothe---!"_

_A single shot broke through the window above his head, spraying glass over him, Bryce and Blaine. His words caught in his throat as he watched the teddy bear slip from his daughter's tiny fingers, falling to the wooden floor. Both of Gabriella's hands went to the center of her lower torso as her head tilted down. Her small fingers ran over the growing red satin on her nightgown, eyes innocent and confused. Then, she looked up slowly, her eyes locking with her fathers. "……Da-Daddy……?"_

"_**GABBY**__!" Alex yelled in desperation as she crumpled like a rag doll to the floor. He crawled on his hands and knees across the linoleum, whispering curses of disbelief. The hail of bullets started again as he reached her now sobbing form. He rolled her over, holding her small and shaking head in his hands._

_It was every parent's deepest fear._

_He covered her small body with his as a shotgun shell ripped through the window, spraying glass everywhere. He looked up, his eyes and mind searching for any chance of escape. His bedroom door opened, Estella crawling out on her hands and knees. She froze when she saw him, or rather, the small body of their daughter covered in blood in his arms._

"_**NO**__!" she screamed, hysteric, bursting forward._

"_Stop, Estella!" Alex yelled as he heard Bryce and Blaine return fire out of the shattered window. "Get to the tunnels!" She ignored him and kept moving forward. "**NO**!__**GO**! Get out!"_

_She stopped, lifting up her tear filled eye. She was torn between her husband's orders and her dying daughter. She shut her eyes, turning her head to the side as she roared in agony. Her fist slammed into the wall in frustration and loss, but she reluctantly turned, scampering over to the basement door. She opened it with one fear filled glance back to her husband and then she was gone._

_With his wife safe, he turned his attention back to his daughter. He never realized that someone so small could produce so much blood. But the reasonable size hole in her lower torso assured him that he had little time. It was a perfectly aimed stray shot. It had entered just below her stomach on the left side. At that moment, Alex cursed his childhood obsession with anatomy. Her small and large intestines, along with her pancreas, gall bladder and portal vein had all, most likely, been pierced, completely torn, or nicked. He had no time to do anything but watch his little girl bleed to death._

"_Alex, heal her!" Bryce shouted before firing a magnum blindly out the broken window._

_Alex had thought about it. But a healing leaves the user weak, and he wouldn't be able to help Bryce fight. They would be vulnerable and outnumbered and it was a chance he wasn't willing to take. He was the temporary Alpha when his father was gone; he couldn't just be worried about his family. He had to think about the good of the pack, and healing Gabriella, whether he liked to admit it or not, brought more problems than good._

"_ALEX!!" Bryce bellowed again. "HEAL HER DAMNIT!!"_

"_But---."_

"_I can handle them!" Bryce cut off his argument; finality in the green eyed mans voice. "You need to get her out of here. She's your only daughter, Alex. Save her!"_

_The Alpha nodded, glancing down to the body in his arms. She was staring up at him in confusion, one of her small hands grasped tightly around his. Blood was flowing form the corner of her mouth and she choked on it, whimpering. He shifted into wolf form, his large dark gray paw resting on her stomach just around her belly button. He pushed his power into her, a feeling of pure bliss enveloping him as his power spilled over its boundaries. He watched the bullet emerge from the wound in her upper left side, the muscles closing and re-knitting the broken skin. His paw print burned into the skin around her belly button and her body jerked slightly. He ignored it as he shifted back into human form, his life force finally flowing into her._

_He had so much power, but the healing reduced him to a newborn puppy. As the feeling of bliss seeped out of him, he collapsed to the floor beside Gabriella, panting heavily. She turned her head in a tired daze, and he smiled, reaching to stroke her soft cheek._

_Bryce watched Alex slump to the ground, and sighed in relief when he saw Gabriella move her head. The second in command turned to his son, the boy dropping to the ground as bullets ripped through the space he had just occupied._

"_Blaine, you have to get Alex out of here!" His son's eyes grew wide._

"_I'm not leaving you." The teen said shaking his head._

_Bryce went forward, gripping his son's shoulders. "You have to protect the future Alpha. No matter what happens. Alex. Must. Live."_

"_I can't—."_

"_You can and you will." He pulled him into a huge, resting his chin on his shoulder. "Be strong. For me. For Alex. For everyone. You must be strong. You - Must - Leave."_

"_I can't." Blaine let the tears fall, no longer trying to hold them back. "I want to stay with you. I will stay by your side till the end."_

"_No." Bryce stated firmly. "No father should outlive his son."_

"_And no son should leave his father to die!" Blaine countered as he covered his head, the blasts from the gun getting louder._

"_I will always love you, Blaine." He grabbed his son shoulders and pushed him towards Alex. "No matter what happens tonight, I will always be with you. Always." Bryce stood up, magnum in one hand and .9 mm in the other. "I'll buy you time. Now __**GO**__!"_

_Blaine stumbled over to Alex's slumped form, grabbing the Alpha under the shoulders and lifted. "I have to get you out of here!"_

"_Not without Gabby." The father mumbled. "……and……Bryce……"_

"_He's buying us time." Blaine glanced down to the young girl, the front of her nightgown stained red, but she was no longer bleeding. "Come on, Gabby; follow me and your daddy."_

_His cousin nodded, getting shakily to her feet. She looked so weak, but followed him anyway. "mkay."_

_Blaine glanced back over his shoulder to his father, who in turn gave him one, last smile before swinging around into the open broken window, firing both guns in his hands. It was the last time he would ever see his father._

_Blaine stumbled down the basement stairs, finding the still open escape hatch that Estella had used earlier. He lowered Alex down first, the father dropping like dead weight to the tunnel floor, and then Gabby climbed down after him. His green eyes shifted to the basement door, waiting. His father didn't appear so with one, gut-wrenching decision; he lowered himself into the tunnels. It wasn't a long escape, but there was a ladder they had to climb. He tried lifting Alex to his back, but the man was too heavy._

"_Gabby, can you go up first? Open the door?" he asked his younger cousin. She gave him a hesitant nod, climbing the rungs of the old ladder slowly. She tried lifting the top that covered the way out, but it didn't budge._

_Then, the cap was lifted up, and Estella glanced down into the hole. Blaine would define the sound that came out of her mouth as a squeal; her excitement at seeing her daughter alive and well was to overpowering to keep her calm. She lifted the young girl into her arms, sobbing with relief._

"_What am I?" Blaine asked as he stood underneath the opening with her husband draped across his shoulders. "Chopped liver?"_

_Estella gave him a gracious smile, her arms reaching down into the hole to help him with Alex. She hugged her husband with a death like grip as Blaine stood beside the reunited family. They were about a mile away from the cabin, but the walk in the tunnels hadn't seemed like that long. The soft gunshots sent shivers down his spin, his father's face flashing through his mind._

_Then there was nothing and he froze._

_No yells._

_No gunshots._

_Only silence._

_Then cheers, yells of pure delight and the loudest howl that Blaine had ever heard cut through the forest. His face paled, all parts of his body going numb. His fingertips tingled with the realization that his father wasn't coming, and his heart clenched painfully in his chest._

"_We need to distance ourselves from this place." Alex ordered in a rasp. The, he turned to Blaine, his dark eyes soft. "I owe you everything."_

"_You don't owe me anything……" Blaine answered looking down, then, he mumbled so that only he could hear. "……but a father."_

_Alex's eyes dropped. If his ears could go flat against his head, they would have. His best friend had just died for his safety. He silently promised himself that neither friend nor family would do it again. He would die before another gave their life to protect his._

"_We should get away." Estella broke the silence, hoisting Gabriella into her arms, where the young girl passed out almost instantly in the comfort. She probably would only remember fragments, if anything at all about the situation she had just lived through. Blaine nodded his head in agreement. But as the group made their way through the forest, a question festered in the back of the seventeen-year-olds mind._

_Why did he have to sacrifice his family so that Alexander Montez could keep his?_

_**.----- END FLASHBACK -----.**_

"What to do…" taunted Blaine thoughtfully. "You can stay here and try to finish me…or you can try to save your daughter's life. What will it be, Alex? What's more important to you? Your revenge…or your daughter?"

"I did not kill him, Blaine." Alex stated. "So why are you doing this?"

"You left him." Blaine snarled. "It's the same thing."

"All I ever did was listen to your father." Alex snapped, taking a step forward. "He was my best friend. He told me to heal Gabriella that night, knew it would take all of my power. He accepted the consequences."

"The consequences weren't his to accept!" Blaine yelled. "You let your best friend die so that you could live. So that you could get away and fight another day!"

"Are we really talking about me?" Alex had straightened, like he had newfound confidence.

Blaine jerked his head back in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You need to stop crying and blaming other people for what _you_ did that night." Alex bit out. "You left your father. But you didn't desert him like your saying I did. Both of us listened to him that night. He told _me_ to heal Gabriella, so I did. He told _you_ to leave and live on, so you did." Blaine was shaking, his eyes wide. "We both honored his last requests."

"I'm going to kill you." Blaine raised the black handgun that everyone had forgotten. But Troy could see something in the older mans green eyes, he was faltering.

"Blaine!" It was yelled from behind Troy, making everyone turn. Ryan was standing, in human form, her brother beside her. The wolf at her heals was a deep red, its mouth slightly open, head cocked to one side. Reid looked surprised. A surprise that matched the face Ryan was currently harboring. "What are you doing?"

Blaine took a step back, his gun arm dropping slightly. Now that everything had come into question, Troy could see that Blaine was second guessing himself. But that still didn't make up for what he did. For what he did to Gabriella. He was the bad guy and Troy would never forgive him.

Blaine blinked, shaking his head. When he looked back up, his eyes were dark and dangerous again. "I am doing something that I should have done a long time ago. I'm exacting revenge for my father."

Ryan sprinted forward, Reid shifting as he followed. The two twins positioned themselves on either side of Alex, fists clenched at their sides. Blaine was family, but they still protected their Alpha, no matter the enemy.

"Easy, easy." Blaine gave a childish smile. He lowered his gun as he gave them the gesture to calm down. "The damage is done."

Alex snarled as Reid and Ryan turned to look back a Troy. Both of the twins' eyes went wide and they left Alex's side to appear next to his.

"Jesus." Ryan lightly stroked Gabriella's burning cheek.

"She healed you." Reid was staring at Troy's belly button, the fresh wolf print etched onto his skin.

"It is time for you to share my pain." Blaine drew back their attention. "The truest pain anyone could ever feel in a life time. The loss of a loved one."

"Blaine." Estella spoke through her tars, one of her hands still wrapped around Gabriella's. "We're family. How could you do this? You love Gabriella, how could you do this to her?"

His eyes flashed with sadness and regret for only a moment. He ignored her question and continued. "Think about her everyday after she's gone, Alex. Think about her smile, her face, and her innocents. How young she was. Think about all of that and know that it's your fault that she's gone." He dipped his head once, bowing slightly and then shifted. His large gray body paused for a moment; his emerald eyes locking with Troy's blue ones.

Blaine O'Connell was confusing Troy. He was dead sure that the man's emerald eyes held the deepest regret he had ever seen anyone posses. Had he really intended to hurt Gabriella?

Troy blinked as the question formed in his mind, and when he looked to Blaine, the wolf was gone. Alex took two steps forward, preparing to peruse the traitor.

"Please, don't." Troy's words stopped him. Whether it was the tears in his voice or just the fact that Alex remembered the situation, Troy would never know, but the father turned to him, his eyes finding his daughter. "We need to help her. Forget about him for right now."

Gabriella, to Troy's relief, was still alive. Her breathing was shallow, strained, but she was _still_ breathing. She was sweating, her cheeks red with an oncoming fever. Her eyes would part open slightly, and her mouth would move. Words wouldn't form on her lips, and she would give an aggravated sigh before passing out again. Her body had been shaking through the whole ordeal and Troy could feel her muscles contract and then relax.

Alex was kneeling in front of him before he knew what was happening. The father reached out and touched his daughter's cheek. His head dropped when he felt her fever and he let out an aggravated sigh. He was mad at himself for letting Blaine get so close to hurt him. He looked up and locked eyes with his wife. "Lets get her home."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

She felt so strange.

Gabriella pulled her eyes open with a groan and tried to look around, but her head wouldn't move, and what she did see was blurred. She could make out the hazy outline of someone looking down at her protectively, but her eyes wouldn't focus enough to see the details of who it was. She felt soft fingers run through her hair and realized she was lying down in a bed.

The comfort; however, was washed away and consumed by another. Pain. Pure, gut-wrenching agony.

She gagged when her body seized, consciousness bringing uncontrolled spasms that sent her chocolate eyes wide. Hands moved quickly to brace her shoulders as she jerked. Her senses were assaulted with pain from every direction at once, sending them into overload. She let out a choked sob as her useless eyes watered. Something cold was placed on her forehead, and even though it was meant to comfort her, it made her skin scream. Every point of contact on her skin was torture and it made her choke in agony. The washcloth seemed suddenly coarse and felt as if it was scraping the skin clean off her forehead. A soft hand stroked her cheek, but the action felt like sandpaper and crushed glass. The cloths on her body felt like they were scraping her arms and legs raw, the sheets on the bed only making the pain worse.

Her chocolate eyes slammed shut as the light around her intensified, flaring and roaring until it was unbearable. Her eyelids did nothing, the light penetrating and scorching her retinas. Her lungs seared from the inside out. She tried to draw in a breath to fill them, but found that she couldn't. She was gasping and choking, her empty stomach dry heaving.

"Shhhh……It's okay Gabriella, you're alright." A familiar voice told her, whispering in her ear. But the supposed whisper was too loud, her eardrums threatening to burst under the pressure. Despite her best efforts and clenched teeth, she whimpered, turning away. She wasn't alright.

She felt another hand on her cheek; this one smaller; more delicate, and she turned her face into it. Lips pressed against the top of her head and a hand stroked back her sweaty hair. The simple motion was grating and excruciating, but still, somehow, remained calming. She felt worry radiating off of the bodies in the room surrounding her, but she didn't care. She was in so much pain that nothing mattered but quenching the fire.

As the storm churning within her body lingered away, she caught familiar scents. Pine needles, timber, and Axe body wash. She knew the smells, but her hazy mind was having trouble placing them with a face. She strained to focus her fading vision; to make sense out of the people surrounding her, but it took to much energy. Energy she was loosing. Energy she didn't have. But she knew the smells! What was it, or more importantly, who was it?

"……w-what?……w-who?……" she croaked out before conceding her voice. Her body was trembling, shaking uncontrollably as she fought to keep her head still and voice level. She came to the blurry realization that something was seriously and undeniably wrong with her. She hurt, she ached, she burned! The blood in her veins scorched with an intensity that she had never felt before, leading her to one startling realization.

"……I'm dying……" she whispered the words, but they tore through her throat like she had screamed them, leaving a fire in their wake. Her throat scrapped raw with each shallow breath she managed to drag in and rasp out.

"No. You're not." the word was choked out, almost faltering as the voice beside her denied softly. The hand returned to her scorching forehead, stroking ever so slightly.

Then the pain came again. It returned all at once, such a startling feeling that she couldn't control herself in time to even stifle the sharp cry that tore through her dry throat. A raw scraping tore at her lungs and chest as she coughed violently, tasting coppery blood in her mouth. The seizing wracking her body only seemed to enhance the agonizing clenching in her chest as her heart attempted to continue beating. She felt drained. It was the type of exhaustion that would make you feel as if you would never have the energy to do anything ever again. It mainlined to her bones, sinking deep into her muscles.

"……Estella!……" The voice beside her was teenaged and masculine; the words that were spoken laced with sympathy. Gabriella just managed to scrunch her eyebrows together, it sounded so familiar. "What do we do? It's getting worse. I can't just sit here and do nothing."

Gabriella forced her head to shift towards the voice. Even though her vision was shot, she could make out the shaggy, dark, dirty blond hair, but it was the crystal blue eyes that made the pain vanish for just a moment. Her mouth opened slightly to whisper his name, but nothing came out. Her throat tightened, her teeth clamping together as her body seized again, the pain returning. Her back arched and he grabbed her around the shoulders, burying his face in her neck as he pushed her softly down to the bed. One of his hands wound around hers and he let her grasp it with as much force as she needed to make the pain lessen.

"We can't do anything, Troy," it was her mother, she now realized, and her pained voice sounded so distant. "The power she transferred to you is ripping her apart. Since you weren't a Walker, the healing process was flawed. And since it was a fatal wound, it required more Life Energy than normal, Energy she didn't have. It was only her strong love for you that forced your body to heal, but sometimes love isn't even enough." He couldn't believe what she was saying. "All we can do is hope that she's strong enough to endure and overcome it."

The information plunged Gabriella's mind into overload. Landon. The fight. Blaine. The gun. Troy. Blood. Then, pain. She remembered her mother and fathers howls of fear as she lost conciseness, her eyes sliding shut as she felt Troy cradle her in his arms. Despite her current predicament, with her dying and all, she couldn't help but smile. Troy was alive. The healing had worked……well enough.

She risked talking again. "……troy?……" Her blurry vision finally let her see his beautiful face. His blue eyes were soft, but there was something different about them. They were sharper, more attentive; and she watched them dart around as she let out her labored breaths. He was worried, but a small smile grew across his face, his white teeth barley showing from behind his parted lips. His free hand moved to rest on her cheek, his thumb stoking her jaw. She watched as his lips moved, but she couldn't hear anything. Her mouth opened and she whimpered as another spasm attacked her body. Her hand tightened dangerously around his, and he went to hold her down again.

"I'm here Gabby, I'm here. You're not alone." He was whispering in her ear again, his forehead resting against her temple.

"……hurts……" she managed to rasp out through her scorching throat, tears escaping the corners of her eyes. "……so……much……"

"Gabriella, I don't know what to do. I can't stop it." He admitted through a choked sob. He had never witnessed pain like this before. He buried his face in her hair as her shallow pants filled the bedroom.

"We have to let her rest." The deep voice of Gabriella's father shook with emotions she knew were foreign to him. She felt Troy pull away, his body shifting towards the voice. Then the statement hit her, the word "rest" making her useless eyes dart around in panic.

"……no……" she tried to move, but her body just jerked in pain again. She never could have imagined that dying would hurt so much. "……sc-scared……won't……wake……up……"

Troy looked back down to Gabriella. She was watching him with a sort of glazed over, half conscious expression. Her eyes were cloudy, and she was scared. He could smell it and feel it radiating off of her.

"Gabriella, you have to sleep." He whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips gently to her slightly parted ones. She kissed him back weakly, her hand unclenching from around his as her chocolate eyes closed, her body reluctantly surrendering to the darkness.

Troy pushed himself off the bed and glanced down to her unconscious form again. She was shaking with fever, her muscles contracting in pain every few seconds. He shook his head, his hands running through his hair. "This is all my fault."

"Yes, it is." It was a low growl that was emitted from Alexander Montez as the older man took a step towards him. "You just had to go and get yourself involved, didn't you boy."

"Alex," Estella snapped at her husband. "Leave him alone, he was dragged into this by the werewolves. It's not his fault. We can't go through this conversation right now; anyway, more important things are at stake."

Alex's eyes flashed to his wife's, his teeth bared. "Have you not forgotten who put our daughter in this state, Estella? None of this would have happened if it wasn't for him."

"That's enough," her voice was impatient, like she was addressing a two-year-old. "Gabriella chose to heal him. If it was any one of us, you know you would have tried to do the same thing, even though you've already healed before."

"What are you talking about?" Troy asked.

Estella turned to him. "A Walker's body is only built for one heal, maybe two if the first was not sever enough to drain their Life Energy the first time."

"Only once." Troy said as Estella nodded.

She then turned to her husband. "You would have still tried even though you know the consequences. Gabriella knew them, but she still healed Troy. That has to tell you something."

"But he's not a Walker." Alex snapped back, his dark eyes angry. "I would have at least been smart enough to realize that. Realize that it wouldn't work properly."

"Would you have really thought about it?" Estella countered, her voice still impatient. "If it was the one you truly loved, regardless of whether they were a Walker or not. Would you have sat there and thought about the consequences while they bled to death?"

Alex clenched his jaw, his eyes seeing reason in his wife's words. "No."

"Then, if it's anyone's fault, Alex, it's ours." The mother sighed, running her hand over her mouth. "We should have known she would go after Landon. Go and try to find Troy. We should have kept a better eye on her."

"You can't say that," Alex answered. "How could we have known she would go after him? I thought I taught her to keep low and avoid situations that would be troublesome. Apparently she wasn't listening at the time."

"She loves that boy, Alex." Estella said flatly, nodding her head towards Troy. "Whether you're willing to admit it or not, they're in love."

"How can she be in love?" The father scoffed. "She's seventeen. She doesn't even know what love is. She doesn't know what she wants."

Estella grew silent. "I can see it, Alex. The way she acts around him, the way she acts when she's _not_ around him. They _are_ in love."

"It's impossible." Alex said turning away.

"Nothings impossible," Estella muttered. "You're so blinded by hate that you aren't seeing clearly. Your hate is shielding you from the truth."

"What are you asking me to do then, Estella?" his eyebrows rising as he opened up his hands.

"I'm asking you to see with eyes unclouded by hate." The mother replied simply. "When you do that, then you will finally see the truth."

Alex turned, striding towards his wife. "I watched Blain betray this whole clan. I watched my daughter try and save that poor excuse of a human being." The father waved a finger in Troy's direction. "And I am watching her pay with her life because of that one mistake. I assure you, I can see fine. Maybe it's you who needs help seeing what is real and what is not."

"That's exactly my point." Estella snarled, her face inches from her husbands. "You're so worried about the safety of this clan and your _reputation_, that you haven't even noticed the way those two act around each other."

"Worried about my reputation!" Alex yelled in a sarcastic laugh, throwing his hands up into the air. "I have focused my whole time here on protecting Gabriella, protecting you, and _then_ protecting this clan. I didn't make you two leave this place when Landon figured out who you where. I didn't do anything to the three outsiders who figured out our secret. My sole purpose has been protecting you and making you two happy!"

Troy was still by the bed, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. He hated watching his parents fight, but to watch Gabriella's parents fight, it was a whole other matter. Both adults were snarling at the other, and Troy was readying himself for a full out brawl. Alex was the Alpha of the Walker clan, but Estella was showing that being his wife was a lot more than just a title. The mother was challenging everything her husband said, and sometimes proving his wrong.

Gabriella's small whimper made him turn back towards the bed, the parent's argument drifting to the back of his mind. He knelt down, his hand wrapping around hers as she shook with another wave of pain.

"……make……them……stop……" she whispered, though her eyes were still closed. He was shocked for a second, but he soon composed himself again. Even though he was sure she was unconscious, the raging voices of her parents had penetrated the darkness of her mind. She whimpered again as her father snarled, her mother countering with another loud yell. "……please……"

"Don't worry," he stroked her cheek and the shuddering attacking her body lessened. "I'll get them to calm down."

She sighed as her body relaxed. She was unconscious again and he stood, facing the raging parents. "Please, stop." His small voice went unheard as Estella stormed away from her husband, only to turn on her heals and yell back at him.

"STOP FIGHTING!" Troy roared, his eyes closed and his fists clenched at his sides.

Both parents stopped mid-yell, turning to face him. Their eyes were wide, their faces showing surprise. Alex's eyes grew to slits as he took a step forward.

"What did you say?" he asked in a low, dangerous, whisper.

"Please stop fighting." Troy answered, fear crawling up his spin as he stared into the eyes of the father. "She hates it when you two argue."

"Don't talk like you know her." Alex took another step forward, his eyes flashing like flint. "You know nothing about her."

"If you didn't know that she loves me and that I love her." Troy took a step forward, challenging the Alpha of the Walker clan. "Then it is you that knows nothing about her."

"How dare you." Alex snarled.

"Troy just proved my point." Estella stepped close to her husband, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. "Can you not see how afraid his is of you? And even though he's scared, he stands in defiance before you. He stands to protect his love for our daughter because he _truly_ cares about her."

"It's alright Mrs. Montez," Troy's blue eyes were downcast. It was his fault. All of it was his fault. Gabriella wouldn't be in this situation if he hadn't been caught so easily. He risked a glanced up to the two parents. Alex Montez's eyes had softened, but were still sharp with annoyance. Troy cleared his throat. "Can we not take her to a hospital?"

The Alpha snorted, crossing his arms. "Those dumb idiots wouldn't know where to start. They wouldn't be able to do anything."

"Then can we at least give her something for the pain?" He was trying to think of anything to help Gabriella, anything to make the pain lessen. "We have to do something."

"I've never tried pain medication before," Estella admitted, her hand on her chin. She had actually never seen a Walkers power turn on its owner before, and she hated the fact that the first time she was witnessing it, the person was her only daughter. "Something like Advil?"

"No, I don't think Advil will be strong enough. Actually, I know it won't be strong enough," Troy answered. "I was thinking more along the lines of ibuprofen. Maybe even something a little stronger."

"You have access to some?" Alex asked his arms still crossed across his chest.

"Yeah." The father's eyebrow rose and Troy rolled his eyes. He wasn't a druggy or addicted to the stuff, so he explained. "For basketball. I normally use it the two weeks at the start of the season when all we do is condition. It's the only think that can get me up and down the stairs after practice."

"Wouldn't the dose be off, though?" Estella asked.

"I really don't think that matters at the moment. With the amount of pain she's in," he paused and closed his eyes. He hated saying the sentence, but whether he liked it or not, it was the truth. "We just need to get the pain to drop. If it doesn't hurt as much, she might be able to fight back harder."

"What if it isn't even strong enough?" Alex asked, his body relaxing a bit. He was finally realizing that Troy wanted to help.

"I could always try to barrow some morphine from the hospital. My friends Ryan and Sharpay could help me access to some no problem." Troy answered with a small smile.

"Barrow?" The father's voice sounded skeptical but impressed at how far Troy would go to protect Gabriella.

"Let's try the ibuprofen before we break the law." Estella said. "How long will it take you to go get it?"

"Minutes." Troy answered taking a step towards the bedroom door. He stopped when a hand grabbed onto his wrist. He looked behind him to Gabriella's half open eyes.

"……don't……go……" her small voice crushed his heart. "……please……don't……leave."

He turned and knelt down next to her, his free hand moving to stroke the side of her face. He kissed her sweaty forehead, before placing his own against it. "I'm going to get something for the pain. I'll be right back."

"……promise?……" she whispered. Troy closed his eyes as he heard the fear laced in her voice. She was crazy to think that he would leave her, ever again.

"I promise." He kissed her parted lips. "I'm never going to leave you."

"……good……" she mumbled, unconsciousness claming her again.

Troy walked towards the door, but Alex's voice made him stop. "Do me a favor while you're out. Clean up your hand. I don't want you bleeding all over my house."

Troy's eyebrows drew together for a moment before he looked down. His eyes found his right hand, and nodded his head. In Gabriella's attempt to get away from the pain, she had dug her nails into the back of his hands. The nail marks were bleeding slightly, but he couldn't feel them. It was such a minor pain compared to what she was going through. He clenched his hand into a fist, and a small stinging flashed across his hand.

"Will do, captain." He nodded his head, giving a quick salute before exiting the room.

"That boy's disrespect will be the end of me." Alex muttered shaking his head at his wife, who in turn, flashed him a small smile.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

He walked down the stairs slowly, his eyes downcast as he entered the living room. The TV was on and Reid held the remote in his hand. Ryan was on the other end of the couch, her legs pulled up under her as her eyes focused on the flashing box. Reid's eyes flicked to him as he entered, but they flashed back to the TV. Though the twins tried to hide it, tried to look casual, Troy could see the worry in their eyes.

"How is she?" Reid asked in a low whisper.

"Not good." He replied shaking his head. Ryan shifted up from the couch, her face set in a soft scowl as she walked forward.

Ryan Murdock was quite attractive. That is if you could get past the constant scowl, the fact that she would (Troy had been told) at times, laugh at the sight of blood, especially when she was the cause of it, and the smart-ass tongue she regularly sharpened on her fellow friends (even her family members if it came down to it. Troy had witnessed that). Most could not. Her slender, surprisingly athletic muscular frame and ever-changing eye color outlined her rather unexpected beauty. But, of course, if you tried to tell her she was easy on the eyes, well……her brother would advise against it if you wanted to keep your kneecaps where they were anatomically supposed to be.

Her blond hair framed her rather oval shaped face. She had sharp cheekbones that were a shared trait between her and her brother and they both had light, naturally thin eyebrows that were inches above their eyes. She had the tan skin of a teenager who had seen much time on the beach, lounging around in a swim suite……or nothing. She was sweet, if you knew her. Troy now realized that it was a mental guard. It was a fake sweet that someone with her looks and personality had to have in order to protect themselves from the people of the world. It was all a cover for a hard and rough past filled with pain. Troy could see it in her eyes, which had settled on a stormy gray for now. Could see it in her walk, her shoulders, which had dropped considerably and in her slow and drawled out stride. She had the look of an eighty-year-old man that had see the events of the world and had had enough.

"Lets get your hand cleaned up, then you can go." She walked past him, her hand brushing his slightly. He took it as a sign to follow, so he did.

The kitchen was bright from the morning sun and he could see the dust floating in the air. The black garnet countertops of the island and counters clashed with the stark white of the tiled floor. The cabinets on the walls were a light brown and all the appliances were silver.

"Run your hand under this while I get you some band-aids." She instructed, turning on the sink faucet. He did as he was told, the hot water stinging the small nail marks on the back of his hand. Ryan opened a cupboard across the kitchen, standing on her toes as she withdrew a box of band-aids from the top shelf.

"That's long enough." She walked towards him, grabbing a towel and placing it gently over his hand to dry it.

"You haven't gone up to see her." He stated calmly in a soft voice. "Why?"

Ryan froze, her head dropping slightly. She let go of his hand and turned; walking back towards the cabinet she had found the band-aids in. "I'll get you some Neosporin for the cuts."

"You're avoiding the question." He said simply.

He hadn't thought anything of it at first, but it soon got to him. Neither Reid nor Ryan had gone up to see Gabriella, and he recalled the look's on their faces when they had first entered the clearing last night. It had been a look of pure fear. His eyebrows scrunched together as he thought. The group of Walkers had been the closest family he had ever seen, but yet, there was something about the twins that made them different. They preferred each other's company to Alex or Estella's, and they liked to be alone. They always seemed on edge when they were in a group, and he had seen that the only time that they ever truly relaxed was when they were alone and together. Like when he had come down the stairs only minutes before. They had been relaxed, almost content. Troy found that odd because Gabriella could possibly be dying in a room upstairs and they looked _calm_.

Ryan sighed heavily, placing both hand on the black counter in front of her. "I haven't gone to see her because," she let her head drop, her chin touching her chest as she continued. "I've see it all before."

He tilted his head to the side at the answer. "What do you mean?"

"I've seen a Walker's power turn on its user before." She answered, reaching up into the cupboard again and pulling out some Neosporin. "I already know the outcome of this situation."

Troy's face paled; his breath quickening. Ryan turned and walked towards him grabbing the box of band-aids from next to the sink. There was loss and pain in her voice. It scared him. He didn't want to feel like that for the rest of his life. It marveled him at how Ryan had been able to hide the feelings so well. Pain and loss were always the hardest to get over.

"And what would that be?" He tried to keep his voice from shaking as she smeared some Neosporin on a band-aid.

"Nothing you want to hear." She said placing the band-aid across the back of his hand. He pulled it back, flinching as the cold goo entered the cuts. "You're such a strange boy." She said flatly, shaking her head.

He smiled slightly as she grabbed another band-aid. She squeezed the Neosporin tube, the creamy substance sliding onto the white gauze in the center of the salmon pink band-aid. He realized what she was trying to do with the comment; change the subject. It wasn't going to work.

"Who was it?" He asked.

Her stormy eyes softened. "My mother."

His heart clenched with sympathy. "I'm sorry."

The twin shrugged. "It was a long time ago." She placed another band-aid on the back of his hand. The blond sighed, screwing the tubs back onto the Neosporin. She boxed the band-aids back up and walked over to the open cupboard door.

"Can I ask what happened?" He rubbed the band-aids on the back of his hand, making sure they weren't going to fall off.

She turned and pursed her lips, her eyes swirling to a light blue. "Not right now, maybe later." She paused, seeing the disappointment in his eyes. "We'll have loads of time later. After all, you're part of the family now."

He tilted his head to the side, eyebrows crashing together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

She stiffened. "I thought Gabriella had told you." She rolled her eyes and licked her lips as he remained silent. She tilted her head back, sighing, before locking with his blue eyes. "You're a Walker now, Troy. She changed you when she saved you."

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**(Review! Please?)**


	13. The Healing

_LAST TIME-_

"_Can I ask what happened?" He rubbed the band-aids on the back of his hand, making sure they weren't going to fall off._

She turned and pursed her lips, her eyes swirling to a light blue. "Not right now, maybe later." She paused, seeing the disappointment in his eyes. "We'll have loads of time later. After all, you're part of the family now."

_He tilted his head to the side, eyebrows crashing together in confusion. "What are you talking about?"_

_She stiffened. "I thought Gabriella had told you." She rolled her eyes and licked her lips as he remained silent. She tilted her head back, sighing, before locking with his blue eyes. "You're a Walker now, Troy. She changed you when she saved you."_

* * *

**"Unable are the loved to die for love is immortality."**

-Emily Dickinson

* * *

He gaped at the twin until she shifted uncomfortably under his stare.

"I thought she told you." Ryan mumbled looking down.

"I have to go get the medicine." He turned and walked out of the kitchen.

"Troy!" Ryan called and he stopped five feet from the front door. "I didn't mean to—I know it's hard to believe—"

"I'll worry about myself later." He answered over his shoulder. "Right now all that matters is Gabriella." He opened the door. "I'll be right back."

"Okay." Reid answered from the couch, his attention turned away from the cartoons on the TV screen. Troy exited and Reid gave his sister a sidelong glance. "You really need to work on your people skills."

She raised her right hand and flicked him off.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

His hands where white knuckled against the dark gray of the steering wheel as he leaned his forehead forward, roaring into the small cabin of his truck.

It wasn't fair.

She didn't deserve any of the pain she was currently experiencing. It was all supposed to be him. It wasn't fair and it was his fault. He was supposed to be dead, yet she interfered in deaths plan and was paying the highest price. Her life for his. He shook his head.

It wasn't a fair trade.

Her pain was supposed to be his. She had saved him, but wasn't it supposed to be the other way around? He was supposed to bare the pain. He was the strong man who had no weakness. Physical pain was nothing, he could bare that, but watching Gabriella slowly die because of him, it was shattering his heart into a million pieces. She was the only person in the world that could make him cry.

It was indescribable, how strongly he felt for her. What _was _it? It was something he couldn't figure out, but she needed to live. She needed to. She needed…

He put his truck in reverse as he backed out of the Montez driveway, tears rolling down his cheeks. He hiccupped as his breath hitched. One of his hands wiped furiously at his eyes before reaching for the radio, the blaring rock music drowning out his sobs.

Minutes later he pulled into the Danforth driveway. He was currently staying with Chad until the cops finished getting whatever they needed from his house. It was a pain, but Chas was a good host, and he enjoyed spending time with his best friend. Troy pulled himself out of his truck, glancing over his shoulder at the black Scion tc parked in the street.

Chad was home.

It didn't matter. He burst through the front door, taking the stairs two at a time. He swung the door to Chad's room open and instantly froze.

Chad was lying on his bed, Taylor on top of him, both teens mid kiss. It was about thirty seconds before either one of them realized he was there, but when they did, Chad pushed Taylor off of him, rolling to his feet. Taylor gave a surprised squeak as she fell to the floor, almost instantly getting to her feet. Troy shook his head, ignoring Taylor's furious eyes and her soft punch to Chad's shoulder.

Troy found his red duffle bag next to Chad's closet, throwing his cloths behind him as he frantically searched for the small bottle of ibuprofen.

"What the—Troy what the hell!" Chad demanded.

The blue-eyed teen ignored his best friend as his hand found the small, clear red plastic bottle of pain millers. He stood, without a second glance to Chad or Taylor, and walked swiftly out of the room. He skipped steps as he went down the stairs, the two lovebirds following him.

"What's going on?" Taylor asked.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Chad's question followed.

Troy opened the front door of the house and made his way to his green truck. He was a little surprised when Taylor pulled herself into the passenger seat. He raised his eyebrows at Gabriella's best friend.

"We're going to find out what's going on." She said putting on her seatbelt. "Whether you want us to or not."

On cue, Chad's Scion tc engine roared to life. Troy shrugged and put his car in reverse, backing out of the driveway. The loud rock music made her flinch slightly, and she turned slightly to look at the boy next to her. He was tense, she could tell by his straight shoulders and white knuckled around the steering wheel. His jaw was locked, and Taylor thought that he almost looked……worried. _But why?_

Her hand found the volume knob and she turned down the music. "What's going on?" She asked again as he sped through a stop sign. "What's with the medicine?" She gestured towards the red plastic bottle in the middle cup holder. He answered with his foot pressing harder on the gas pedal. "Who's it for?"

He didn't answer.

"Troy!" she yelled in aggravation. "The least you can do is answer me when I ask you a question."

"Prepare yourself for the worst." He said it slowly so that she would understand. He didn't wasn't any stupid questions eating up his time. The decathlon leader didn't seem to get it.

"What—What did you say?" He saw the dawning realization in her dark eyes. He also saw the denial. He watched out of his peripheral vision as she glanced almost unconsciously to the empty back seat, then out her side window, her eyes searching for the street signs. He turned into Gabriella's subdivision and Taylor swiveled towards him.

"Where's Gabriella?"

He let out a heavy sigh as he spied Chad in his rear view mirror. "You have to prepare yourself for the worst." He turned to her as he pulled into the Montez driveway. "But know that I will do everything in my power to help her."

"Troy." Taylor's throat was tight. "What's going on?

"I can't tell you." She went to argue, but he held up his hand. "It's something you have to see."

Before she could ask anything more, he was out of the car and halfway to the front door. He reached for the door handle, but it was opened for him, Reid's passive face greeting him.

"How is she?" Troy asked the twin as he entered the house. Reid paused and glanced to Taylor and Chad's approaching figures.

"She needs you." He answered in a whisper. "We're running out of time."

"Running out of time?" Chad asked as he entered the house, Taylor close behind him. Reid opened his mouth, but an agonized cry of pain radiated through the house, imploding into the fours ears.

"What was that?" Taylor glanced up the stairs with worry in her eyes.

Troy closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. "Where's Ryan?"

"Estella called for her help just after you left." Reid answered, then glancing at Chad and Taylor. "Alex isn't going to be happy that they're here."

"They're her friends too, Reid." Troy answered, heading towards the stairs. "They deserve to find out now rather then tonight on the six o'clock news."

"Lets hope it doesn't come to that." Reid gave a sad smile.

Troy paused halfway up the stairs. "I wont let it get that far." Another agonized cry and the blue-eyed teen shot up the stairs, the tiny medicine bottle clenched in his hand.

"Whoa—Troy!" Chad called, but Taylor dragged him up the stairs to follow.

Troy followed the cries, pausing outside of her bedroom door. He put his hand on the door, taking a deep breath in the dark hallway. Taylor came up the stairs, Chad in tow. Her dark eyes were frantic as they flickered to the door, the painful cries on the other side making her edgy. He gave the two one last glance before opening the door, and walking head first into his nightmare.

Ryan had taken his place, the twin kneeling next to the bed. Her hands were clasped tightly around one of Gabriella's, her mouth moving in low whispers of false reassurance. Estella was on the other side of the bed, a bowl of water sitting on the nightstand. She placed a rag in the bowl and then transferred the wet cloth to her daughters burning forehead. Alex was sitting close on the bed, his hands placed firmly on Gabriella shoulders as her body tried to jerk away.

Troy walked in as his ears picked up her low whimpers. Alex turned his head to Troy, the father's eyes then finding Chad and Taylor. He was up on his feet in one swift motion.

"What are they doing here?" He asked, and Troy could tell he was having trouble keeping his voice level. Alexander Montez was not used to being disobeyed. Troy ignored him and took his place next to Gabriella's trembling form. Taylor let out a choked breath as she walked past Alex and stood next to Ryan.

"Did you bring it?" Estella asked.

"Right here." Troy held out the small bottle of ibuprofen. The mother took it and headed to the bathroom, getting a glass of water.

"Troy?" Gabriella's eyes opened, her head turning towards him.

"Hey." He smiled at her as his hands went to her cheek. "How are you feeling?"

She carelessly shrugged her shoulders, the action weak. "Hurts—Still."

"I brought something for that." He leaned down and kissed her forehead, wiping away her sweaty hair. Estella returned carrying a glass of water in one hand, two pills of ibuprofen in the other.

"Help her sit up." She instructed Troy. He slid his left arm underneath Gabriella's shoulders, lifting her up. He could feel the muscles across her back spasm with the sudden movement, but she pushed up with her hands anyway, fighting back the pain. Her head rolled to the side, resting against Troy's chest. She didn't have the strength to keep it still.

"Give me the pills so you can keep her head still." Taylor crouched next to Gabriella as Ryan watched the scene play out, her hands still grasped tightly around Gabriella's. Estella nodded, handing the best friend the pills while she went to hold Gabriella's head gently.

"Taylor?" she mumbled, her brown eyes flickering towards her friends.

"Yeah. I'm here." Taylor smiled. "Take these. They're ibuprofen pills."

Gabriella nodded, opening her mouth lazily. Taylor popped the two pills in, Estella following with the glass of water. Gabriella swallowed, her head rolling to rest against Troy's chest again. She sighed, breathing through her nose as she kept her mouth shut.

"I need to get some air." Ryan stood, walking out of the room.

"What's going on?" Taylor asked to no on in particular.

"Why are they here?' Alex asked again, his voice more aggravated.

"We deserve to know what's going on." Chad said, taking a step forward.

"Like hell you do." Alex snapped. "This is family oriented only."

"What about Troy?" Chad asked. "He's not family."

"As of a day ago." Alex turned to Chad, his voice low. "He is a part of this family."

Chad's eyes went wide as he frantically glanced to Troy. "Dude—Oh my god—You didn't have sex—she's not pregnant?—Is she?"

Troy rolled his eyes and felt Gabriella shake slightly in his arms. He looked down and there was a smile on her face, her chocolate eyes amused. "You think that's funny?" he whispered to her.

"Very." She replied softly.

"Alex." Estella broke the awkward silence. "Go downstairs and explain. Its too loud up here for that."

"I'm staying." Taylor said quickly. Alex nodded and walked past Chad, the teen following after a curt nod from his girlfriend.

"Are you feeling any better?" Estella turned her attention to her daughter.

"Don't know." Gabriella panted, shaking her head slightly. "Can't tell." After she spoke, her head jerked slightly, her eyes crashing closed.

"Gabriella?" Troy asked worriedly. Taylor's hand tightened and Estella's eyes grew closer together in confusion.

"Bathroom." She rasped. "Now." Her head jerked again and she clamped her mouth shut, stopping the bile rising in her throat. His blue eyes went wide and he scooped her up bridal style instantly, striding towards the bathroom. She pushed at his chest and he set her down.

He realized what was happening, that still didn't mean he was ready for it. Her hands grasped either side of the porcelain toilet and she almost missed the gaping hole. As soon as her mouth opened, everything came out. Troy raced to her side, pulling back her hair instinctively. Her whole body shook with the heave, the action so violent that the stuff came burning out of her nose and her mouth.

"What's happening?" Taylor's voice came from behind him and he could hear the smallest hint of fear.

"It's what I was afraid of." Estella muttered. "Her bodies rejecting the medicine."

Gabriella sucked in a breath before going into another fit of heaving. Troy watched with sad eyes, wiping her mouth with the cloth Estella gave him. She wasn't just throwing up the contents of her stomach; there was blood. More blood than there should have been. By the end of it, Troy had her in his arms on the floor of the bathroom. She was crying, her pants coming out in a rasp due to the acid that had burned up from her stomach.

"Why is she so sick?" Taylor asked, her throat tight.

Troy lifted Gabriella off the floor, certain that she was done for the moment. He brought her back to the bed, tucking her in as she fell asleep almost instantly. "She healed me." Troy answered, lying himself next to Gabriella on the bed.

"What? You guys can heal too?" Taylor asked Estella, surprised.

"Only once." The mother replied, sitting down in one of the small lounge chairs in the room. "But it was such a life threatening wound that she didn't have the power to do it without brining consequences."

"Life threatening?" Taylor's head swiveled back to stare at Troy. He lifted up his shirt and Taylor's eyes went wide. The first thing she saw was the black wolf print etched around his belly button and then came the faint circular scar. She knew what it was. A gunshot wound. "Troy, you where shot?" the teen nodded. "By who?"

"Blaine." Estella growled.

"Whoa—Whoa—Whoa." Taylor waved her arms in front of her, eyes closed. "Better yet, I don't even want to know. But, Troy, you're a Walker now?" her voice was skeptical but she let out an amazed breath when he nodded his head. "Okay. Troy's a Walker, but what's wrong with Gabriella?"

"She healed Troy." Estella said flatly.

"I know. You said that." Taylor replied, voice level. "But why is that bad? I thought you said you guys can heal?"

"I also said that she was to young to perform a healing." Estella reminded, then explained shortly. "Over time the body builds up Life Energy, but you normally never use it. A Walker can tap into that power and fuse it with someone who is hurt in order to "kindly" force the said body to heal. But if you're to young—"

"Your body doesn't have much Life Energy to tap into." Taylor finished, understanding. "But then, if she healed Troy, what made his body heal?"

Estella sighed. "It's the first step in a healing. Connecting your _Soul_ with that of the person that is wounded. It acts like a bridge, so that the Life Energy can be transferred less painfully."

"The Soul?" Taylor said aloud. Then her eyes went wide, realizing. "So if Gabriella didn't have enough Life Energy to heal Troy, then his body fed on her Soul?"

"Yes." Estella answered and there was pain in the mother's eyes.

"If she healed me just with her Soul." Troy spoke from the bed. "Then can I not do the same?"

Estella was up on her feet in an instant. "I will not allow it. She healed you for a reason Troy. She ignored the rules, ignored the consequences that she knew would come. She did all of that for your life. She gave hers for yours. I'm not letting you throw that sacrifice away so that you can do the same."

"You sound like you've already given up." He snapped. "If there was any way to save your daughter, would you not do it?"

"We've tried everything, Troy." Estella argued, then more quietly. "There's nothing left."

"You can't say that." Troy shook his head. "There has to be something we can do."

"I've given myself to much false hope." Estella said sadly, walking to the bedroom door.

"I promised not to leave her." Troy mumbled. "So she cant leave me."

"A friend once told me a promise is like telling someone that you will let them down eventually." The mother said from the doorway. "Its cruel that no matter how much we try, life always turns out exactly the way we thought it would before we tried to change it."

"What are you saying?" the question came from Taylor, tears in her voice.

"Some things—no matter how hard we try, or how much we hate the outcome—cannot be changed." Estella sighed, running her hands through her hair. "Come get some air, Troy. You need to take a break from this. Let Taylor wait with her some."

"No." He shook his head extravagantly, the action making him look like a little kid. "I'll wait with her. I'll wait an eternity if it means I can spend it with her."

"Eternity might not be as long as you think." The door was shut and Taylor and Troy were left alone in a deafening silence.

Gabriella opened her eyes just a fraction of an inch. "Troy, it's getting—it's getting hard to—to breath." She paused, a breath rasping in her raw throat. "I can't—move."

"It's okay." He whispered stroking her cheek. "I'll make the pain go away."

"You can't." she shook her head lightly, tears slipping from her eyes.

"Shhh." He put his forehead to her temple. "I'll be fine. All that matters is you."

"Troy." Taylor pulled back his attention. "You heard what Estella said. If you try, it'll kill you."

"Taylor." He looked to her. "I'm dead anyways without her." He then gave her a false smile of reassurance. "I can save her. We're connected, Taylor. Not by blood or family. It's something stronger. Something death itself can't even conquer. I _love_ her."

Taylor sighed helplessly. "I know. It's juts—I can't believe—" she took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts before starting again. "—Be careful, okay? I better see you two _alive_ in the morning."

He smiled, shrugging his shoulders. "How hard can it be?"

She stood and rolled her eyes. "Ugh. That is the most clichéd line on the entire planet. And its probably a lot harder than you think." She walked forward, placing a claming hand on Gabriella's forehead. "You're going to be fine, sweetheart. Troy's going to take care of you." Taylor walked to the door. "If anyone tries to come up, I'll buy you some time."

"Thanks." Taylor paused at the door, glancing back to the two teens on the bed.

It was cliché that neither one of them could live without the other. The bond they shared was so strong that Troy would gladly welcome death if it meant he could spend the rest of eternity with Gabriella. Taylor figured it was the other way around, too. In her lifetime, she had never seen two people so madly in love that the boundaries of life and death could not scare them.

It was a known fact that Troy Bolton could not live without Gabriella Montez.

And Gabriella Montez could not live without Troy Bolton.

One stray tear escaped the corner of Taylor's eye. She had to accept the fact that both of her friends might not be breathing when she came back up. She had to accept that they were better together than apart. She had to accept that neither one could live when the other died. She left the two together, hoping for the best.

He saw the sadness but understanding in Taylor's eyes as she left, and was thankful for that. Someone had to understand that he couldn't live without Gabriella. She was a need. Like breathing, water or food. He _needed_ her in order to live. She was a _necessity_.

"How does this work?" he asked her, voice soft.

"Not telling." She refused and he rolled his eyes.

"So you want to die?" He stated.

"no." she whispered.

"Then let me help you." He stroked back a strand of hair from her eyes. They were half lidded, tired, and she was shaking with chills, though she wasn't cold to the touch. She sighed, closing her eyes as she thought.

"You don't have time to think about it." He urged her, his voice quicker. "Tell me how it works."

She hesitated, but answered. "You have to—to shift first." She swallowed, her throat dry. "Think of—of a wolf. Then just—slip into the form." Her throat tightened and she suddenly gasped for air, as if someone were suddenly suffocating her. Her chest heaved for oxygen, but her body wasn't working properly anymore.

"So—so hot, Troy." She whimpered and then went still.

He worked fast, throwing back the covers of the bed and pulling up her shirt just above her belly button. He let out a claming breath, rolling his shoulders. "Just slip, Troy. How hard can that be?"

He closed his eyes, picturing a wolf in his mind, then, he pictured himself next to it. They were both standing in a void of white nothingness; nothing was around them but air. _Just slip_. The Troy in his mind knelt next to the wolf, placing his hand on its furry head. He couldn't really explain it. It just kind of happened. One minute he was Try on the bed, the next, he was looking through someone else's eyes.

Some_thing's_ eyes.

All at once, everything was sharper. The room intensified and everything colored popped out at him. Gabriella's cheeks flushed redder, her hair turning the purest of black. But with the intensified sight, came the stronger smell. It washed over his nose, making him sneeze and take a small, hesitant step back.

He could smell the worry radiating off of the people downstairs and could even pick out who was who. Ryan with her Hollister perfume and Alex and his pine needles mixed with timber. His head swiveled to Gabriella. He could smell the sickness on her. Could smell death sneaking up her spine. It made him growl. The sound rose from his chest and carried through his throat, shaking his whole body.

She was _not_ going to die.

He placed his paw on her belly button and closed his eyes. _Bridge the gap. Connect the Souls._ He pushed what little Life Energy he had into her, hearing her heartbeat in his head. It was slow and spread apart. He would fix that. He focused on it matching his heartbeat. Surprisingly, it did, but her chest still wasn't moving. She wasn't breathing.

_Come on baby, breath!_

A feeling of bliss enveloped him as he pushed more of his Soul into her, feeling a slight tug in his chest. He thought about her breathing, her smiling face. He imagined her scraped and torn up lungs mending, her dry and raw throat growing back protective skin. She was going to get better because he willed her to. His paw burned, and he could feel the skin around her belly button take on the shape.

_Sorry, Alex. It's not your paw print anymore._

Her chest heaved and she coughed for a mouthful of air. Her chocolate eyes went wide as he turned human again, the tiredness sinking into his bones. He was so tired now. He smiled down at her lightly, and right before she passed into unconsciousness, Troy saw her chocolate eyes ignite.

With her safe, he collapsed on the bed next to her, his arm draped across her body. He joined her in a _safe_ oblivion.

a.k.a- a much needed nap.

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**(Review!)**


	14. Back To The Not So Normal Life

_LAST TIME-_

_Her chest heaved and she coughed for a mouthful of air. Her chocolate eyes went wide as he turned human again, the tiredness sinking into his bones. He was so tired now. He smiled down at her lightly, and right before she passed into unconsciousness, Troy saw her chocolate eyes ignite._

With her safe, he collapsed on the bed next to her, his arm draped across her body. He joined her in a safe oblivion.

_a.k.a- a much needed nap._

* * *

Troy woke up to a different room than he remembered falling asleep in. He shot up almost instantly, his hands frantically searching the bed sheets around him. Gabriella was nowhere to be found and he guessed that he had been moved while he was sleeping.

His legs went over the edge of the bed as he took a deep breath. He looked around the room and realized that the lights weren't on, but he could see clear as day. The room smelled of dust and lint and he figured it was the guest bedroom from the lack of smell. Then he realized that he could see in the dark and smell almost anything and his hazy mind went into overload with past events.

A childish grin spread across his face. "This is going to be fun."

He got to his feet, his arms reaching over his head as he stretched. A yawn followed and he made his way to the door, pausing when he heard voices outside. Ryan, Reid, Estella, and Taylor where having a heated discussion outside the room. He shrugged his shoulders. He wanted to see Gabriella and he was hungry.

He turned the doorknob and walked out into the open foyer, the four automatically stopping their conversation.

"Stupidass." Ryan muttered with a smile, her brother's eyes amused next to her. "You just had to go and play hero, didn't you?"

"Troy!" Taylor grinned walking over to him. "I can't believe you did it!"

"And I thought I told you not to." Estella's voice held not hint of anger, but more of a thankfulness hidden under her calm composure.

He raised an eyebrow at her over Taylor's shoulder.

"But who said I didn't know you would do it anyway." The mother shrugged.

Troy smiled at his small victory and glanced back to Taylor. "Where's Gabriella?"

Taylor sighed and looked over her shoulders to the stairs. Troy followed her gaze and caught the hint of an angry voice carrying thought the air. Almost instantly he knew who it was.

Alexander Montez.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

His eyes, dark and chaotic, focused on hers, examining. His voice was dead quiet, his eyes seething. She tried to look away, aggravated by his over protectiveness, but he grabbed her chin and brought her eyes back to his, delicately but firmly.

"You ran off by yourself." He stated.

"Yes—Because you weren't going to do anything about Troy." Gabriella snapped, her jaw clenching. Her father's voice was just _so_ condescending, almost like she was completely incapable of protecting herself.

Her father gave her a searing look, his hands moving down to grip her shoulders even tighter than her chin. "You're my daughter. You almost died, Gabriella. That healing could have killed you easily!"

"You just expected me to sit there?" She growled. Her father's head jerked back, his eyes growing small. "It was my fault he got dragged into this, his life should have never been threatened. It was my job to protect him."

"And you did a _fine_ job." Her father stood in one swift motion, pacing beside the bed. His hand was running over his mouth as he muttered angrily to himself. The Alpha stopped and faced her. "You call what happened, protecting him?

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" she grumbled, crossing her arms.

"You were dying yesterday. _Dying_." He kneeled next to the bed, drawing back her attention. "It _didn't_ work." She looked into his eyes and realized just how scared her father had been. "Cant you see how much agony this whole situation caused me. I almost lost you, _again_."

She tilted her head to the side. "On that note, why didn't you tell me about my change? About Bryce O'Connell?"

Alex shook his head. "You were to young. I was almost relieved when you told me you couldn't remember anything." She gave him a doubtful stair. "I was trying to protect you."

"Letting me walk blindly into Blaine's vengeance was more like it." She snapped back, the words coming out harsher than she had wanted.

"I dint—I couldn't—have know that he would turn so easily. That he would be overrun by hate. Though being blinded by hate is one of the human race's most common weaknesses. But still—" He shook his head halfheartedly, sighing.

"Dad—I didn't mean to." She finally got out in a whisper.

"Its okay." Her father's hand found her cheek. "I'm just glad, _so glad_, that you're okay. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you." He rocked back on his heals, his face fighting over what he was going to say next. "I guess I have Troy to thank for that. Apparently, _love_," he tested the word in his mouth and hated the fact that it was describing his little girl. "Had anything and everything to do with your miraculous healing."

She blushed and her father whistled. "Uh-oh."

"What?" She questioned.

"I need to learn to listen to your mother more often." He shook his head with a smile and made his way towards the door.

"What?" She asked more urgently, throwing the covers off of her and making it to her feet.

Her father turned and gave the purest and most accepting smile she had seen yet. "You're in love with him."

Whether it was the statement, or just the mere thought of Troy, but her cheeks turned so red she had to turn away, a small laugh coming from her mouth. She felt that her father had already left, but that another presence was standing in the doorway. A presence she knew. A presence that had apparently saved her life.

She turned and smiled sheepishly. "Hey."

Troy didn't bother replying with words. The relief was so great that it stung his eyes and swelled up fiercely in his chest, so all he could do was stride across the threshold of the room, grab a hold of her face and kiss her as hard as he could. She _oomph_ed and fell back against the wall, surprised for a moment before dissolving into the embrace, both teens losing themselves completely. Her hands were on his back, running up his spine and shoulders until they threaded through the locks of his hair at the base of his neck.

Troy braced his hands beside her head, his thumbs stroking her temples. He leaned into her, wanting to touch her and make sure that she was real. That she was there. That she was _alive_.

It seemed Gabriella had the same idea.

Her hands pushed hard against his back, forcing him forward so he had to step forward, interlocking their legs. They wanted to occupy the same space at the same time, though it was physically impossible, but it didn't mean they couldn't try. Only then, when he felt his knees hit the wall and her thighs brush against his, only then did he rest his forehead against her brow and pry his lips away from hers. He didn't open his eyes, just let their breathing mingle, hot and slow, almost fevered, and waited for the light-headedness and the weakness in his knees to pass.

It was only after he had convinced himself that she was there did he open his eyes, staring into her dark chocolate ones. "Whoa," she exhaled, cracking a crooked smile.

He laughed. It was the only thing he could do.

"Have I ever told you how much I love chocolate?" he threw her his ever-famous lopsided grin and everything—just for a moment—seemed okay.

**.-.-.- Insert Happy Music -.-.-.**

**Author's Note: **I know, I know, yell at me in a review. This chapter is basically a filler chapter until I get all my thoughts straightened out on where to go with this story. But the gap between updates will never be this long again (though, don't quote me on that. I'm not even perfect. Shocker, I know.) Troy's parents are back, Landon isn't dead, regrettably, though he is pissed off, and we finally get to see Bruce Fury in later chapters. Oh, and did I mention theirs a basketball game in the future. Yay! Can't wait! Review!!

(**PS**- sorry it was so short, but you wont be getting long chapters like the last couple until I get the major climax for this arch figured out.)


	15. I'll Protect You

_LAST TIME-_

_It was only after he had convinced himself that she was there did he open his eyes, staring into her dark chocolate ones. "Whoa," she exhaled, cracking a crooked smile._

_He laughed. It was the only thing he could do._

"_Have I ever told you how much I love chocolate?" he threw her his ever-famous lopsided grin and everything—just for a moment—seemed okay._

* * *

_He was running through a dense forest, rain pounding down heavily on his shoulders. He was scared, but didn't know why. In one of the very rare moments, his lungs burned for spent air, his body aching and pleading to stop. He had been sprinting through the underbrush for a good twenty minutes and was surprised that he hadn't created space between the things that were following him._

_But, why was he running?_

_One of his hands moved up to wipe away the rain from his eyes as an uncontrolled excitement for chaos radiated from behind him. Adrenalin coursed through his veins faster and his pace simultaneously quickened. The mass following him was __**bad **__and he had to warn them._

_But, warn who?_

_His blue eyes were sharp in the pitch-black night and he could see as clear as day. He could also see the small cabin half a mile in front of him. Relief flooded him as he closed the distance between him and salvation, bursting through the small door._

"_They're coming." He stated to the teen on the couch. She looked startled for a second, before her eyes turned sharp and she jumped into action._

"_How long?" she asked, moving in one swift motion from the couch and turning towards the base of the stairs. "Five minutes?"_

_He parted the drapes, glancing out the glass window. "Two." He replied in a grave voice._

"_Mom! Dad!" he could hear the slight slip of control, but she hid it well. "Ryan! Reid! We need to get out of here ASAP!"_

_The four bodies were down the stairs in an instant, bags slung over their shoulders. "We felt them coming." Alex Montez informed, heading towards the back of the small cabin. He threw aside the rug that had lain on the floor close to the back of the house to reveal a trap door. The joints complained as he hefted it open, looking up and signaling for his wife to go down first. The twins were next, Reid following Ryan down into the darkness of the escape tunnel._

"_Gabriella!" Her father motioned with his hands. "You next!"_

_She went forward, then turned and glanced back over her shoulder. Troy's eyes went wide and he dropped his head in a pleading motion, egging her to go down. He watched as her hand shot up to around her neck, fingers feeling nothing but skin._

"_My necklace!" She cried and bounded back to the nightstand beside the couch._

"_Gabrie—!" Troy cut him off. "I'll get her, just go. We'll catch up." The father hesitated for a second, a battle raging in his mind. Reluctantly, he jumped down into the darkness. Satisfied, Troy turned and gave a searing glare to Gabriella. "Would you hurry, already!"_

_She snatched the small necklace a turned towards him. Her eyes were frantic as she ran forward, her mouth opening to say something. The next moment, she was falling forward, her breath hitching in her throat. Troy watched as she crashed onto the floor, one of her hands going to the already bleeding wound in her left side._

_Denial set in. The small hole in the glass of the far window made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He hadn't even heard the gunshot! He scrambled over to her on his hands and knees, heart pumping in his head._

"_Get out!" she growled, shoving him away. "You have to get out!"_

"_Not without you!" he snapped back, grabbing her around the shoulders. He watched her face as he tried to move her, searching for any signs of pain. It was there. Her mouth opened in a silent scream when her side moved, and she blacked out for only a moment, head rolling limp to the side. "Damn it, Gabriella!"_

"_Stubborn boy!" she retorted, groggily. "Get the hell out!"_

_The door to the small cabin burst open. Gabriella's hand found the center of his chest and she shoved him backwards. He was surprised at how much strength she had left, considering half her lifeblood was spilling onto the floor. He slid backwards as she shoved her body off the ground, roaring and charging the men who had just entered._

_He simply sidestepped and stuck out his foot, tripping her. She crashed forward again, yelping when her injured side smashed into the floor. He laughed and Troy snarled. He lunged at the man, but was tackled from the side, two pairs of arms yanking his behind his back._

"_What do we have here?" a sneer spread across the man's face, and Troy snarled again. The figure was shrouded in darkness; the only thing visible was his shining teeth, all filed to sharp tips. It was strange. The cabin was covered in light, but the rays refused to reveal the towering man's identity. "A couple of young pups?"_

"_Hot damn that was a good shot!" Landon Fury strode in through the open door, putting a foot on Gabriella and rolling her over. She panted and glared at him, all the while her hands held tightly against her bleeding side._

"_I do have to agree with you." The man shrouded in darkness smiled. "Excellent shot."_

"_Bastard!" Troy snarled his eyes trained on Landon. "Get your filthy hands off of her!"_

"_Come now, Troy." Landon pulled Gabriella up by her dark hair, holding her by the back of the neck. "I was going to find you, sooner or later. I ow her anyways. She tried to kill me so many times, I'm only returning the favor."_

"_I swear to God if you do anything—!"_

"_You'll do what?" Landon smiled. "You know, Troy. I'm willing to test that statement." He turned towards the open door and dragged Gabriella with him out into the pouring rain._

"_**NO**__! __**NO**__!" Troy snarled, cursed, and yelled. Anything. Anything that would get him closer to her. He got his knees under him and pushed off the floor, only to have another man sit on him, his chest crashing back towards the ground._

"_No, wait." The outline of the man's head turned towards him. "I want him to see this."_

_He was hauled up, his legs kicking out in front of him. He thrashed as he was dragged outside and the situation hit him. All hope was lost. There were a number of men standing out in the rain; most of them had smiled plastered across their faces. They were watching Landon._

_The teen had Gabriella around the throat and he was taunting her. In a move so unexpected, she spit right in his face, a slue of Spanish curses flowing from her mouth. Landon's head titled to the side, and instead of loosing control, he laughed. But it was a dark laugh; diminishing any humanity the boy had left. He threw her to the ground viciously before kicking her in ht ribs. She went with the roll, to tired to fight back._

_Troy was shoved to the ground again when he tried to go forward. He went to his last resort. He shifted, trying to catch the people holding him off guard. He escaped for a second, his four paws feeling the freedom of the wet earth before bodies flew on top of him. A forearm was pressed against the back of his neck, forcing his chin into the mud._

_He snarled, baring his canines. He clawed at the earth, but it was to wet to get traction and he just sunk farther into the brown mess. The men laughed. His intimidation wasn't working. So he shifted back and tried a new plan. Begging. "Please," he choked out. "Please. Landon, don't do this. I'll do anything. Please. Stop."_

_Landon paused mid kick, glancing up. A smile spread across his face and he thrust his foot into Gabriella's stomach. Again. Again. And again. Troy was forced to watch. It was agonizing, the clenching in his heart. His throat burned with the choked out roars of pain. "Please! Stop this senseless madness!"_

"_Madness?" Landon stomped down on Gabriella's chest. She had stopped crying out a while ago. Maybe she was unconscious. God, he hoped she was. No one deserved this kind of punishment. Troy turned his head to the side, tears streaming down his face. _

"_You want to kill me, don't you?" Landon asked. He stepped forward, not bothering to step over Gabriella. One of his feet crashed onto her chest as he stepped on her, making his way towards Troy. "You would give anything to have me in your position, wouldn't you?"_

_Troy turned his head away, not wanting to believe the situation at hand. "Tell me how much you hate me, Troy Bolton. Do you despise me? Do you want to kill me like your bitch has tried to do some many times before?"_

"_Shut the fuck up!" Troy snarled and with a final burst, he went forward and head butted the young teen. Landon fell backwards to his butt, as Troy was kicked in the ribs, more men crashing down on him._

"_That's it!" Landon shot to his feet ad turned. Gabriella had made it miraculously to her hands and knees, one hand resting against her still bleeding side. Landon stomped hard on her back. "How does that feel?! How does it feel?!" He was like a little child, exacting his revenge on a helpless captive. __By the time he tripped over his own shoes and fell to the ground, he was panting heavily and Gabriella was again, no longer responsive to any of the attacks._

"_It's been long enough, Landon." The man was still shrouded in darkness, but the smile was still as clear as day. "It's time to end this." He walked forward as Landon got to his feet._

"_I've had my fun, Dad." Landon stood right next to Troy, his hand grabbing the blond boys hair and forcing him to stare at Gabriella. "You can have the honors of finishing off Alexander Montez's daughter."_

_Gabriella rolled over, the action slow and weak. Her eyes were half closed and Troy wasn't even sure she could register the falling rain. She took a breath; her chest shaking as blood flowed over the corner of her lips. The man in black stood over her, his hand reaching under his shirt. He withdrew a black handgun and flipped off the safety. Troy's breath escaped him. Gabriella heard his sharp intake of breath and her tired eyes locked with his._

"……_troy……" she whispered._

**—_Bang—Bang—Bang—Bang—_**

**—Beep—Beep—Beep—Beep—**

_6:13_

He shot up, a dry moan escaping his throat. One hand went to his chest, clenching painfully at his heart while the other went to the tears streaming down his face. His door burst open and his mom came in.

Being a Walker had its benefits.

Nightmares weren't one of them.

"Troy, hunny?" She sat on the edge of his bed. "What's wrong?"

He shook his head and collapsed back to his bed, hugging his pillow tighter. Her eyes softened. "Was it the nightmare again?"

He nodded silently, feeling the hand with the cast on his back. "It's not going away. And it ends the same way every time."

She sighed. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what it's about."

He shook his head again. "I can never save her." He sat up and sighed helplessly. "I just can't save her."

They sat in silence for a moment before his mother patted his bed. "Come on. Maybe school and practice will make you feel better."

"School." He made a face and her eyes darkened.

"Don't give me that." She stood. "You'll be ready in ten." She left the room, closing the door behind her.

He looked out the window to the dark clouds and large raindrops. "Yuck." He rolled over and went back to sleep.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"You have Thirty-five seconds…**GO**!" The high-pitched whistle bounced off the walls of the gym.

Troy jumped off the end line of the basketball court, powering his body with his pumping arms. Three steps and he had reached the free throw line where he turned and pivoted, heading back towards the end line. Once he reached the line he turned again and raced to center court, where he repeated the action back to the end line again. He turned again, his sneakers squeaking on the shiny linoleum as he pivoted sharply, racing towards the free throw line on the opposite end of the court.

_One more._ He ordered to himself before yelling out, "One more guys! One more!" he risked a quick glance to Chad's body beside him, his best friend's breaths coming in sharp breaths as he tried to keep up. "Come on Chad! Beat me!"

He smiled as Chad sped up, his arms moving faster. Troy pivoted once again on the far free throw line, heading back towards the opposite end line for the final suicide. Full court.

"Six seconds!" His father bellowed; the older man's eyes trained on the watch around his wrist. Troy's sneakers squeaked with the final pivot before any of his teammates, and he shifted his body into gear. Moving faster than he was ever capable of before, he pulled away from the rest of his team, though they were still close behind him.

"Five!" He pivoted on the opposite end line. "Four!" He reached half court as the others turned on the final pivot. "Three!" He put his hands out in front of him to brace against the matted wall just under the basketball hoop. "Two!" He crashed into the mats as his teammates passed half court. "One!" The others crashed into the wall next to him, hot breaths and gasps filling the empty gym.

"Zero." His father said with a smile.

Troy grinned, his hands on his hips. He glanced down the line of teammates, every one of them bent over with their hands on their knees. It was funny that no matter how hard he ran himself, or how hard his father ran him, he never seemed to get tired anymore. It was the same with seeing in the dark, or knowing what his mother was cooking for dinner before he even entered the house.

Being a Walker had its benefits.

"Good hard work, guys." His father walked over. It had been two weeks since both of his parents had gotten out of the hospital. Rather than taking it easy, which was what the doctor had recommended, his father had been back on the court within hours and his mother in the kitchen within minutes. Though how she cooked with a cast on was beyond his reasoning. "Now. We probably have the most important game of our lives tomorrow. West High will be gunning for us, more so than last year."

"That doesn't really matter." Chad smiled.

"Don't get to cocky." Mr. Bolton slanted his eyebrows. "Getting cocky is any teams downfall. Anyone cane beat anyone these days. And Landon Fury was released from the hospital a few days ago. Doctors say he's making a miraculous recovery and his coach has already said hes going to be playing."

Troy sighed, zoning out at the mention of Landon's name. The nightmare still haunted his mind. The gunshots. Her face. How he had to watch her die. To say that he was scared to fall asleep was an understatement.

He was downright terrified.

So, prolonging sleep was the only option. He actually did all his homework, not leaving any to be done in first period. When his homework was done, he went outside. He would shoot baskets till morning if it meant he could get away from the nightmare.

"Go to bed." His mother called from the open kitchen window. He sighed, dreading the upcoming night. He brushed his teeth extra slow, and then brushing again. When the taste of Colgate total was permanent in his mouth, he made it over to his bed. Sliding under the comforting covers was the only happiness he was going to get out of the night.

"You need to sleep." It wasn't his mother or fathers voice. "You have a big game tomorrow."

The strong relief that flooded his body made his breath quicken and his head whipped around to his bedroom door. Gabriella smiled, but then seemed to understand his panic and strode closer to him, sitting on the edge of his bed and grabbing one of his hands. "What's wrong?"

He swallowed and shook his head. "Nothing."

She gave him a doubtful stare. "Your mother said you're having nightmares."

He glared at her. "Why are you here?"

Her head jerked back and her eyes grew small. "Your mother told me you were having nightmares."

"You said that."

"She thought I could help."

His eyes widened. "You're staying?"

She shrugged, and then gave him a playful smile. "Don't you want me to?"

"I just didn't—How did you—" He took a breath. "How did you work that out with my parents?"

"As I said before." She pulled off her shoes. "Your mom said you were having nightmares and wouldn't talk about them. Your dad was freaking out because you aren't getting the proper amount of sleep and the championship game is tomorrow. Both solutions were me."

"What about your parents?"

She smiled. "I told them I was keeping watch over you. You're part of the family now, it's in my every right to be able to protect you."

"Doesn't that make you feel special." He teased.

"I could leave." She shot back. He panicked and his eyes went wide.

"Okay, okay, okay." She smiled. "Get a hold of yourself, would you? I was joking. It was a joke."

"I didn't think it was funny." He mumbled.

"This is really bothering you?" She tilted her head and motioned for him to scoot over.

He nodded sadly as he moved, and she laid down next to him. "I'm scared to fall asleep."

"How long has it been going on?" She asked, wrapping an arm around his chest.

"Two weeks." He answered and noticed her body stiffen. "Yeah, since I healed you."

In the next moment she asked the one question he didn't want to answer. "Am I in it?"

He paused, reluctance tugging at his heart. He wanted to get rid of the nightmares; maybe telling her would do that. "Yeah." But that's all he was going to tell her.

"Really?" She flashed him an uncertain look. "What happens? What do I do?"

He shook his head.

"Come on Troy. You can tell me." Her arm tightened around his stomach.

"You die." He whispered.

Her head jerked back, eyes wide. "Well that's—" She paused, searching for the right word. "—Unfortunate."

He turned towards her. "Unfortunate?" he laughed out. "It sucks."

She gave a halfhearted laugh. "It's only a nightmare."

"I can never save you." He whispered as she rested the side of her face on his chest.

"Maybe you aren't supposed to." Before he could say anything else. "Maybe you just have to watch it play out and it might go away. Maybe if you stop fighting-"

He changed the subject, kissing the top of her head as their breathing matched. "What if it happens again?"

"Don't worry," she whispered, snuggling closer to him. "I'll protect you. I'm right here."

**.-.-.- Insert Music -.-.-.**

**(Review! Yes, I know, the nightmare was a little dark, but I needed it to be in order to make Troy scared enough. But basketball game next chapter and we get to meet Bruce Fury!)**


	16. The Game

**Author's Notes**: I couldn't even fathom how EXPENSIVE senior year was going to be. From Prom—Party Bus—Hair—Make-up—Nails, to the senior trip, to pictures and graduation announcements and finally dinner and just having a normal life, I mean, WOW. Ugh. Graduation is in 13 days, so things are getting frantic, but I will guarantee that this story _will be_ completed. I promise, just bare with me on the updates because things are getting a tad bit hectic.

* * *

_LAST TIME-_

_She gave a halfhearted laugh. "It's only a nightmare."_

"_I can never save you." He whispered as she rested the side of her face on his chest._

"_Maybe you aren't supposed to." Before he could say anything else. "Maybe you just have to watch it play out and it might go away. Maybe if you stop fighting—"_

_He changed the subject, kissing the top of her head as their breathing matched. "What if it happens again?"_

"_Don't worry," she whispered, letting his evasion slide. "I'll protect you. I'm right here."_

* * *

It was rather funny that over all the years of playing in games that mattered, games that not only counted for the record, but for the school history—for the players, that the butterflies still ruled his stomach the approaching minutes before a game.

He was a pro and yet he still got nervous.

He rubbed his sweaty palms on the back of his shorts as the loud hip-hop music broke through his anxious filled mind. The cheering crowd put him on a high that nothing else in the world could better. And the only reason why he felt so good was because he could hear her cheering for him. With his new—talents—he could pick out her voice perfectly from the low roar of the spectators.

She knew he could hear her because she was screaming embarrassing things into the loss of the crowd's noise, a laugh admitting from her chest when she watched him smile on her behalf. Everything was going to be fine.

He knew that for a fact.

The buzzer sounded for the end of warm-ups and he made it to the side of the court to join his team. His father was smiling, wider than Troy had ever seen. "How you guys feel?" Every one of them nodded and smiled. "Good, because this is going to be one hell of a game. There're out for blood, we just have to show them that we're immortal. Win this game and you go down in history, not only in the school records or the town's records, but also in each and every one of these people's memories sitting here today—the students—your _friend's_. You win today," Coach Bolton pointed over to the West High bench, "_and they will never forget you_. You beat them once before and they think they can come back—_This is your time, not theirs._ _Bury them today_."

Troy smiled as he put his hands with his teammates. "**WILDCATS!**" The cheer sent courage through his body. Saying that name and knowing that he belonged to the team made him the proudest man on the planet. He turned to walk towards his place on the center circle, but his father caught his arm.

"Troy, make sure you mark—"

"Landon Fury is mine." He cut off his father with a smile. "Don't worry."

He turned as his father gave a soft laugh. Troy was surprised at how calm he was when he took his position opposite the younger Fury. Though the anger he held for the boy was beyond reason. His dreaded nightmare flashed through his mind, the fact that Landon Fury had shot Gabriella, in fiction or fact made his eyes narrow.

"Now Bolton," Landon's voice had the faintest hint of a rasp, white bandages wrapped around his throat. "What did I do to deserve that look?"

Troy ignored him and reached his hand up to his own throat, throwing a smile of mock concern towards Landon. "Ouch. That looks like it still stings a little."

"You have no idea what your instigating Bolton." Landon's voice was dark. "You have no idea what I'm capable of or what you're getting yourself into."

Troy smiled, shifting only his eyes. He felt the sharp blue grow stronger in color, his pupils falling to slits as they adjust to the gym lights. "Don't worry yourself too much Fury. I know more than you think I do."

"Walker." Landon straightened, taking a slight step backwards. His eyes then flickered to Gabriella in the stands, Troy watching all the while. "She's stronger than I expected." He turned back to Troy, a feral grin spreading across his face. "A mistake I will not make a second time."

"You're not going to get a second chance." Troy clenched and unclenched his hands as the referees approached. "I wont let you near her again."

"If I am not mistaken, Bolton," Landon readied himself for the opening whistle. "The only reason she got hurt was because of _you_."

The statement turned the blood in his veins to ice. He didn't even register the blow of the whistle as the game started. Chad won the tip off, but Troy wasn't ready. He felt the ball brush past his face as his body froze. The blur of Landon's smile stung in his mind as the boy shot past him, retrieving the vacant ball.

Troy only had time to run and watch as Landon faked to charge towards the net, only to stop and pull back to the three-point arch. He shot, the ball easily sliding into the net.

And just like that Troy was loosing a battle he couldn't afford to loose.

"_Troy_!" Chad roared, anger and uncertainty in his voice. "_What the hell are you doing_?"

The blond boy shook his head in response, more to clear his thoughts than to answer his friend. He willed himself to forget everything except the game. That's all that mattered. He was soon getting better, and the score reflected it, but the fourth quarter was what counted.

57 Wildcats—60 Knights.

The ball bounced in Troy's hands as he dribbled down the court. He saw an opening, driving towards underneath the net. He caught Landon charging him from the corner of his eyes and felt Chad sprinting towards the three-point arch. Wait for it. Wait for it. _Chad, get your ass moving!_ Still waiting. He felt Chad skid to a stop, and Troy threw the ball over his shoulder and into Chad's awaiting hands.

Chad looked as surprised as Landon, though he took the shot anyways, sinking the ball in the net.

The crowd cheered as Troy smiled. "_Your fault_." Radiated in his ear as he passed Landon. Troy froze for the second time that night, Gabriella's face from his nightmare sinking into his mind.

_**Get back and defend!**_ A voice radiated in his head. _**Troy! Defense!**_

But it was too late. Troy's unmarked player jumped for a pass from Landon on the other end of the court, and easily made the lay-up.

60 Wildcats—62 Knights.

Coach Bolton called a time-out, relief flooding Troy as he made it to the sideline. "You said you could handle him, Troy. What's wrong?"

"I _can_ handle him." Troy assured, but his teammates were less certain. Even he was loosing hope.

_**You need to snap out of it Troy!**_ The voice was in his head again. _**He's feeding on your self-hate. You can't let him do that! You wont loose this game because of me! I wont let you!**_

His head snapped up and into the stands. _**Gabriella?**_

She nodded her head slightly, reading his question. _**I don't know how, but I can hear you in my head. I have some theories. I'll fill you in after you win this game. But you have to win. Don't let him get to you!**_

It felt so—Right—to have her in his head. He could feel the emotion in her words as she spoke and he felt so…connected. Her concern was strong, but the anger was stronger. But she wasn't angry with him. She was angry with Landon for playing dirty.

_**I'll win.**_ He gave her a confident smile. _**I promise.**_

For the first time, Troy glanced to the clock, his breath almost catching in his throat. 20.5 seconds. _What! When!_ _The game was almost over!_

And they were loosing.

But they had the ball.

Jason stood under the hoop, basketball in hand. The gym was virtually quiet, the spectators in the stands catching their breath. Troy moved, opening his palms to signal for the ball. Jason threw it to him, but Landon was guarding him in an instant. Troy was pinned, pivoting and changing directions to try and free himself.

Chad ran to his rescue.

Troy saw his friend out of the corner of his eye, running in for the block. He went right, breaking away from Landon as Chad smashed him into the floor in a successful block. It was then that Troy heard the crowd counting down. He was on the other end of the court; he wasn't going to make it.

So he shoved the ball in the direction of where he thought the hoop was, hoping, praying that it would go in.

He was making a break for Gabriella in the stands right as the swish of the net met his ears. It was pure celebration after that. Gabriella jumped into his arms, laughing out loud as he hugged her fiercely. He was barley away of the pats on the back or shoulder he was getting from his friends. There was too much euphoria to worry about anything else.

Then, everything changed.

Something invaded his nose, the smell making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Gabriella slid from his arms, the muscles across her back flexing. She was tense and staring at a figure behind him. Everything fell to nothing, the noise imaginatively going quiet as Troy turned. The steps echoed through his head, and for a second he was afraid that he had been thrust into his nightmare. His hand found Gabriella's, just to make sure she was still with him.

The man in front of him nudged six and a half feet tall easily. He had broad muscular shoulders that narrowed down into a slim waist. The man was built like a tank. Strong and sturdy. He looked to be the epitome of efficiency. His hair was short, sinister, and spiky. A black Armani suit wrapped around his built frame and blood red Oakley shades were propped on his forehead, though it had been dark for hours. Every Italian loafer-ed step flowed of expertise and ruthless calculation.

The man of Troy's nightmare was no longer covered in darkness.

Bruce Fury was the most intimidating creature on the planet.

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**(Review!)**


	17. White and Black

**Author's Note**: Graduation—State Soccer Finals—Beach Week. Those are my excuses. I got a little Pacsun crazy in this chapter with the clothes. What can I say, I like the store.

_

* * *

LAST TIME-_

_Then, everything changed._

_Something invaded his nose, the smell making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Gabriella slid from his arms, the muscles across her back flexing. She was tense and staring at a figure behind him. Everything fell to nothing, the noise imaginatively going quiet as Troy turned. The steps echoed through his head, and for a second he was afraid that he had been thrust into his nightmare. His hand found Gabriella's, just to make sure she was still with him._

_The man in front of him nudged six and a half feet tall easily. He had broad muscular shoulders that narrowed down into a slim waist. The man was built like a tank. Strong and sturdy. He looked to be the epitome of efficiency. His hair was short, sinister, and spiky. A black Armani suit wrapped around his built frame and blood red Oakley shades were propped on his forehead, though it had been dark for hours. Every Italian loafer-ed step flowed of expertise and ruthless calculation._

_The man of Troy's nightmare was no longer covered in darkness._

_Bruce Fury was the most intimidating creature on the planet._

* * *

Fear and anger coursed through Troy at the same time, making his body freeze. He wanted so badly to pounce on the man, to jump on him and pummel him into a thousand pieces. But at the same time, his mind was telling him that he would be eaten alive if he even tried to get near Bruce.

Bruce Fury was a beast. It was the only way to describe him.

So, the only thing Troy could do was position himself in between Bruce and Gabriella. He let his hands fall to his sides and then clenched them into tight fists. He tried to keep his face straight, but at the amused eyes of the tank in front of him, he had failed horribly. In the instant of his uncontrollable fear and anger, Gabriella's hand went around his.

He instantly froze, because the action, however comforting she had meant it to be, instantly gave away her identity. Troy wasn't even sure if Bruce Fury knew what she looked like, she had been running from him for all her life. But the instant her hand found Troy's, Bruce Fury _knew_.

"Mr. Bolton." The smile behind Bruce's teeth was false, but none the less menacing. The older man inclined his head once and then his eyes flew past Troy's shoulder to Gabriella. The werewolf leader smiled, a feral smile that turned darker and darker as his eyes grew more excited. "Miss. Montez, it's been far too long. I almost didn't recognize you."

"What do you want?" Troy cut right to the chase, though he knew the answer. The longer he could hold up a conversation, the more time they had for the cavalry to show up.

"Only to congratulate you on a well played game." He shrugged, his eyes never leaving Gabriella.

Troy only nodded at the compliment. It was the first time he had ever met the man, and he already didn't like him. Maybe it was because he felt so _threatened_. That was exactly the right word to describe Troy's feelings. He wasn't even sure that if a fight broke out between the Walkers and the Werewolves in the gym right then and there, that he would even be able to protect Gabriella if Bruce wanted to hurt her. It was such a body freezing feeling. Knowing that you were completely helpless but still wanting to fight.

Troy felt Landon's presence behind him, coming through the crowded basketball court. The Captain of the West High Knights was pissed. Almost on cue, "you filthy, godforsaken, poor excuse of a human bei—"

"Landon!" Bruce growled. "That's enough."

"But father!" Landon persisted.

"I said that's enough. You lost, but there will be other times." Troy tilted his head at the father's words. What was he implying?

"Of course." Landon smiled at his father, silent understanding passing between the two. The boy then turned to Troy, nodded his head and then glanced to Gabriella. "I'll see you _real_ soon."

"Over my dead body." Troy growled, taking a step forward.

Landon flashed him an impish grin. "It's funny you should put it that way." The rival didn't continue, instead he turned towards the exit of the gym.

"Until we meet again Mr. Bolton." Bruce Fury inclined his head. "Gabriella, let's not wait twelve years for our next reunion. I'll see you soon."

"Can't wait." She said sarcastically, her hand tightening around Troy's.

The older man's eyes narrowed at something behind the two teens. The fingers in his right hand twitched, but that was the only hostile movement. Troy glanced over his shoulder, only to see Alexander Montez with a very unreadable emotion on his face. Estella was right behind his shoulder, the mother's icy glare fixed on the werewolf.

"Alexander." Bruce said evenly, turning to leave. "Estella."

"Bruce." Alex returned, coming to a halt behind Gabriella and Troy. Estella stayed silent.

"Well," Ryan's voice carried through the crowd, Reid leisurely on her heals, "I'm glad that didn't get out of hand."

Alex placed on hand on Troy and Gabriella's shoulders. "You two stay close to each other at all times. Try not to go places with small amounts of people. It would be to easy to pick you off."

"I already feel like a cadged hamster." Troy mumbled, making Gabriella smile.

"Just be careful." Reid translated.

"How long do you think they'll wait?" Estella asked her husband.

"I don't know." Alex sighed. "They'll probably be watching constantly now that Bruce is here and they know where we are. They won't try anything in a big group of people, and during the day is pretty risky. They don't like to be noticed."

"Don't worry Alex, I won't slip up." Troy said firmly.

Alex shook his head. "That's not the point. I trust you Troy," Gabriella smiled softly, "but Bruce is a _very_ _patient_ hunter."

"I know." Troy sighed helplessly, and then admitted. "That's what worries me."

**-XxX-**

Even with all the bodies moving around her, Gabriella was aware of a vague, lurking danger.

She was dressed in regular cloths as she walked down the crowded hallway of the mall, Troy close behind her. A sleeveless dark blue Pacsun T and faded blue jeans with small torn holes at the knees. Her small T necklace Troy had given her was wrapped around her neck, and a white surfer knot bracelet fit snugly around her right wrist. Black and white Chucks harbored her small feet. She caught the scent of floor cleaner, expensive perfume, and body wash. She heard a reporters voice barking out current headlines from the Radio Shack to her left.

It was all a low roar, but she still had the feeling that someone else was out there, among the crowed. Someone not friendly. But she refused to live her life in fear. She was rather surprised when her father had let her and Troy go to the mall, but then again, it was _the mall_.

If she had to guess, there were about 3,000 people in Cottonwood Mall right at that moment. At the guess, Gabriella felt a little more at ease. It was too crowded for anyone to try anything, especially werewolves. Crowded places were as safe as being home, but after three days being cooped up in either her own house or Troy's, she had had enough.

Troy's hand found hers and she turned to look at him. His bright red T had the Fox logo, with accompanied tribal designs, running across his shoulder to side in black, and the logo was also across the back of his right shoulder. His jeans looked broken in, a dark blue that faded lighter at the knees and thighs. They were loose, the way he liked them and a fox belt hung snugly around his waist with red and black to match his shirt. His Vans were as white as the first time he had unwrapped them from mail order. A matching white surfer knot bracelet was on his right wrist, a Live**strong** band on the other. His icy blue eyes were calm, but they still had an edge to them. Ever since she had turned—she hated putting it that way—him, his eyes seemed sharper.

"It's almost 4:45, the girls movie gets out in five minutes and we're not very close to the arcade." He paused and smiled. "Though I don't think we'll get Chad and Jason off of DDR anytime soon."

Gabriella laughed. "Taylor and the others will meet us at the arcade. She said she would after her movie was out." She started dragging Troy towards the arcade at the opposite end of the mall. "Besides, I want to see how good Chad and Jason are at dancing, see if they've improved any."

Troy smiled. "I never really liked that game."

"Have you ever thought it was because you were _never really_ good at dancing?" Gabriella flashed him a teasing smile.

Troy bobbed his head from side to side. "_You were never really good at dancing._" He mocked in a high-pitched voice. She choked on a laugh, and he picked her up by her hips, spinning once as they dodged a group of stopped middle school kids. He set her back down and she gave him a small smile, her eyes questioning him.

"I said I didn't _like_ dancing," he corrected her. "That doesn't mean I'm not _good_ at it."

"Where?" She took his hand again automatically as they passed Bed Bath and Beyond.

"My mom made me take Cotillion for middle school and half of high school." He let a shiver run down his body at the memory. "That was _not_ fun."

They stopped in front of the arcade. From the looks of it, the girl's movie hadn't let out yet, Chad and Jason were still on DDR and Ryan was in the back playing Time Crisis. Gabriella turned back to look at Troy. "Can you show me?"

He tilted his head at her. "Out here?"

"Why not." She shrugged.

"Okay." He smiled. "What would you like? The Tango?" He picked up her right leg behind the knee and placed it behind his legs. His face was inched from hers in moments, breath hot on her face. She stopped breathing and he touched his forehead to hers. A crooked smile played across his face, "or the Waltz?" He dropped her leg and placed one hand on her hip and took her right hand in his left.

"This one." She answered. She wanted the other one, but it was too risqué for a public place.

"Okay." He rolled his shoulders as I her were about to play a game of basketball. "On my lead. 1, 2, 3." He stepped forward and she stepped back. They turned and repeated, again and again. And then they were dancing, granted, it was outside an arcade in the local mall, but they were dancing. Troy was humming to himself, and she went with his body. Wherever he pulled her, she followed, almost effortlessly. They spun and he lifted her up by the hips, like he had done earlier to dodge the group of kids. She let out a childish laugh and he laughed with her.

"Who would have thought," they both stopped and looked over their shoulder, "Troy Bolton can dance."

Sharpay Evans had her hands crossed over her chest, a smile on her tan face. Taylor and Kelsi were behind her, and to Troy's disbelief, both phones were out, no doubt taking pictures or dare Troy say it, a video!

"Why does everyone just _assume_ that since I'm a basketball player, I can't dance?" He shot back in mock annoyance.

"Basketball has nothing to do with it." Taylor explained with an innocent face. "It's just the fact that you're _a_ _guy_."

"Are we stereotyping, Taylor?" He asked teasingly.

"No," she replied, a hint of a smile crawling across her face. "I don't really believe in stereotypes anymore."

"Now who could have changed that?" Troy asked innocently, grabbing a hold of Gabriella's waist with one hand and pulling her to his chest. "Certainly not the basketball star."

"Okay, okay, okay." Taylor waved her hands up in surrender. "I give, you win."

Troy's eyes lit up. "Did I hear you right?" Taylor rolled her eyes. "Did Taylor McKessie just sa—"

Gabriella's hand went over his mouth. "Easy." He whined behind her hand and she rolled her eyes. "Down, boy." He shot his head forward, kissing the inside of her hand as the back covered her mouth. Before she could move her hand and do it the proper way, Chad came bounding out of the arcade, Jason and Ryan close on his heals.

"Are we ready to eat?" the dark teen said out of breath. "I'm starving."

"You're always hungry." Taylor ruffled his curls.

"So," he pouted. The group laughed and headed off to the food court.

They found a table in the middle of the court, surrounded by families and groups of kids. They ate for nearly two hours, Sharpay spilling most of the gossip about the higher ups in the community. Taylor and Chad would put in opinions occasionally, but they were guarded on what they said. Troy could tell that they didn't want anything to slip, nothing that would give away what he and Gabriella actually were.

"I think we're ready to go," Sharpay said after three house of lounging at the court.

"Us too," Jason added, standing up. "I have to get Kelsi back before her dad decided to send out a search team."

The small brown hit the arm of her boyfriend lightly. "He's not _that_ bad."

He tilted his head at her, eyebrows arching up. She let out an aggravated sigh and rolled her eyes. "Okay, so he's a _little_ overprotective."

"A lot."

"Are you two coming with?" Ryan asked, while Kelsi and Jason argued in the background.

Gabriella looked to Troy and sighed. "This is the only night I've been out this week since my father got back. I'm going to stay as long as I can. Which usually means an angry phone call from him telling me to come home later."

"Okay." Taylor nodded her head, but Gabriella could see a little bit of worry in her best friend's eyes.

"We'll be okay Taylor," Gabriella reassured. "Really."

"Why should I believe you?" Taylor eyed her suspiciously. "You remember what happened the last time you told me that?"

"Just go." Gabriella insisted with a little shove.

"You're calling me when you get home." Taylor ordered. "Understood?"

Gabriella gave her a mock salute. "Yes ma'am."

"I mean it!" Taylor shouted as Chad dragged her away.

"I promise!" Gabriella shouted after her friend.

"So, what do you want to do?" Troy asked when they were alone.

"Well, genius," Gabriella smiled getting up, "we are at the _mall_. I thought we could go shopping."

"But I don't have any money." He argued.

"We don't have to buy anything."

Troy groaned but Gabriella pulled him up, giggling. The next hour and a half consisted of the both of them trying on cloths in almost all of the major stores. Most of the outfits were ridiculous or out of control, other actually looked decent on them.

"What about this store?" Troy asked with a grin on his face as they stopped in front of Victoria Secret.

"Maybe next time Romeo." Gabriella dragged him to the exit. "My dads going to kill you if we don't get back at a reasonable, wait, let me rephrase that, _safe_ hour."

"Why would he kill _me_?" Troy defended. "I'll just tell him it was all your fault."

"And I'll tell him you wanted to take me into Victoria Secret." She smiled at Troy's silence.

"You're no fun," he pouted as they made it to the exit doors. "Shit." He cursed under his breath.

"What?" Gabriella asked glancing up.

"It's raining." He answered with a frown on his face.

Gabriella paused just for a second, enough time for her to get that feeling that something was lurking. "Come on, we need to go." She opened the door and stepped out into the rain. It was hard, just enough to get annoying. They hadn't parked at a reasonable distance, but that was because there had been so many cars, it was impossible to get a place near the entrance.

They passed under a street lamp when Troy spoke over the rain. "Do you have a bad feeling?"

"Like something's wrong?" She answered and he nodded. In the split second of silence, something split the air, the projectile fast and almost silent. Gabriella dropped to the ground, rolling under a parked car to the protected other side. The projectile smashed the car window, sending class to the wet ground.

"What was that?" Troy asked from behind her, almost giving her a heart attack.

She glared at him. "Sorry." He muttered. She shook it off and peeked over the hood of the car. The same Berserker as before was stepping out from behind a car parked towards the entrance of the mall, two other's moving behind him.

"Why didn't we smell them coming?" Troy whispered.

Gabriella glanced around, tucking a few wet pieces of hair behind her ear. "It's just like before when he attacked. It was raining then. I guess it hides their scent."

A pop from her right split the air, and a projectile whizzed towards her face. With the well-trained reflexes of a Walker, she banked to the left, using her shoulder to cushion herself while rolling to her knees. Another projectile came at her from the opposite end of the parked car and she dropped backwards, flinching when her spin hit the wet, uncomfortable pavement. She immediately rolled to her stomach, pushing herself up to her feet. She sprinted; Troy hot on her heals, to another car at an angle where they could reach her.

"Not bad for a seventeen-year-old girl!" yelled a masculine voice that roared over the soft rain of the storm.

Heart racing, Gabriella exhaled, regulating her adrenalin while keeping her eyes focused on the things around her. She kept her position behind the parked car, ready to face anything. "What do you expect? You guys take forever to reload! Can't you go any faster?"

She almost felt the 'now-you've-done-it' look drill into the car she was hiding behind. The clang of an empty magazine hitting the ground met her ears along with the click of the slide as a new one was loaded.

"Do you think that was the best idea?" Troy hissed from behind her. "Do we _want_ to piss them off?"

She turned and smiled at him. With her just-past-shoulder-length black hair, broad yet delicate shoulders and soft features, you'd think she'd come off as some Latina cutie. But upon a closer look, one Troy had taken just a while ago when she had saved him from a world he hadn't even been aware of; she was more like an Aztec warrior ready to tear her opponent's chest open. Troy had no doubt that she could do it, but it wasn't exactly her style. She seemed to have adjusted to the shy, quiet girl everyone made her out to be.

"What am I?" Troy yelled. "Chopped liver?"

There was a pause. "No." The group paused again, deliberating. "You're just extra baggage."

"There goes my self esteem." Troy grumbled. "The bad guys don't even want me."

"Are you ready to run? Or are you just going to sit there and pout all day?" Gabriella raised her eyebrows at him.

"What's the plan?"

"Inch our way to the car." He nodded and they both picked the next car they were going to run to, a Honda Civic parked two rows over. They would have to pass into unprotected space, but Troy was hoping they would be fast enough to catch the Berserkers off guard.

"Ready." Troy nodded his head. "Go!"

They both sprinted, passing one car, then another. The gap between the rows was the last thing to clear, and the most dangerous. Gabriella glanced to the side halfway into the open space, seeing the Berserker from before raising a black handgun. She dove forward, one of her hands flying back to Pull Troy with her.

Something slammed into her stomach mid dive; she hit the ground hard and slid behind the car. The same projectile hit Troy square in the shoulder, sending him spinning to the ground behind the car. They lay in silence for a couple of seconds, breathing hard, realizing that they weren't dead.

"Shit." Gabriella hissed between gasps. "And ouch."

"What the hell was that?" Troy spat out, grabbing his shoulder.

Gabriella blinked, taking a deep breath. She looked to the ground, picking up a small circular object. "There're rubber bullets."

"Are you serious?" Troy gaped. "So they don't want to kill us?"

"No, I pretty sure they _want_ to kill us." Gabriella answered. "But right now there're just _playing_ with us."

"Playing or not, that shit _really hurts_." His hand was still massaging his shoulder. "I think it fractured my collar bone."

Gabriella took a deep, labored breath. "I think a ribs bruised, possibly broken considering the pain." She groaned, resting her head agains the side of the car. "Jesus."

"What now?" Troy asked trying to peak over the car. "We're still far away and I don't think I can do that again."

"Shift and run. We're a lot faster in our other form." Her eyes were bright and he understood why. They had never shifted together, and Troy had to admit that it stirred something in him that he couldn't explain. He nodded his head, a smile that matched hers crawling across his face.

"Remember what I told you?" She asked as she moved to the balls of her feet.

"Just shift." He answered closing his eyes.

It was easier than last time. He felt a prescience beside him, knowing that it was Gabriella calmed him to where he shifted faster than he had before. One minute her was normal, the next, he could smell everything. Even with his eyes closed, the scents painted an almost perfect picture of his surroundings. Every raindrop sent off something like a ripple, making his world constantly moving. He was excited to open his eyes and look beside him. She was sitting, almost patiently, like she knew that he was seeing everything for the first time, like a child.

Her chocolate eyes brightened when he shifted. She had never really watched someone shift; it had always been second nature to her. But when she watched Troy shift, all sorts of questions surfaced in her mind. How was it possible? How did everything fit from wolf to human form? And the most important question, where did their cloths go? Those three questions surfaced in her mind in the split second it took him to change, then everything went blank because he was gorgeous. When he looked to her, through those icy blue eyes that she loved so much, she could help but smile on the inside and out.

Troy was black as night.

The wolf that sat beside her was bigger then her by at least 75 pounds, his paws a reasonable size bigger, and his head was much more menacing. But when she looked at it, she was seeing Troy. His blue eyes were, if possible, brighter because of his dark coat. And then it hit her. She was white and he was black. It was almost ironic, the way fate normally worked out.

He raised his eyebrows at her. **You like?**

She tilted her head, forgetting about the whole thought-speak thing. **I guess I could get used to it.**

**It's kind of ironic, don't you think?** He dipped his head below the parked car, finding the shuffling feet of the Berserkers.

**My whole life's been ironic lately.** She lifted her head to find their car. **You ready to run?**

**Are you kidding?** He whined. **I've been itching to try these legs out.**

She turned on her four paws and sprinted. **Keep your body low!**

**Roger**. He answered, ripping past her. Jesus Christ was he fast! She just pushed herself to keep up with his pace. She knew she couldn't outrun him, and the moment she felt the earth beneath her paws burst with rubber bullets, she had no mind of stopping.

**Keep going!** She roared, knowing that the berserkers couldn't keep up with their fast pace. **I'll drive.**

They slid to a halt, shifted and got in the car in a matter of seconds. They were gunning towards the exit in three. One of the Berserkers ran out in front of the m, but Gabriella gunned it and, with Troy sitting astonished in the passenger seat, ran him over. Well, he didn't go under the car, just hit the hood and rolled overtop.

"Whoops," Gabriella smiled, glancing over her shoulder at the Berserker picking himself off the ground.

"He's gonna feel that in the morning." Troy grinned out. "And it doesn't look like there're going to follow."

Gabriella reached for his cheek. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted you to see for yourself." He smiled.

"I can't wait to tell my dad."

"About the Berserkers?" Troy's face fell. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Gabriella shook her head. "Not about them, though he'll find out sooner or later." She then locked eyes with him. "Your color is really rare. I've never seen any other Walker with black fur before. Most all of them are between shades of gray and red. But never black."

"Or white." Troy added.

"Or white." Gabriella nodded. "We're going to be more identifiable now, with your never seen before black fur. That's why I don't change a lot. White's too easy to look for."

"Well," Troy smiled as they sped down the road. "My mom always did tell me that I was special." He paused. "She just never elaborated on _how_ special."


	18. The Rules Can Always Change

_LAST TIME-_

_Gabriella shook her head. "Not about hem, though he'll find out sooner or later." Then locked eyes with him. "Your color is really rare. I've never seen any other Walker with black fur before. Most all of them are between shades of gray and red. But never black."_

"_Or white." Troy added._

"_Or white." Gabriella nodded. "We're going to be more identifiable now, with your never seen before black fur. That's why I don't change a lot. White's too easy to look for."_

"_Well," Troy smiled as they sped down the road. "My mom always did tell me that I was special." He paused. "She just never elaborated on _how_ special."_

* * *

It was another normal day in APEnglish 12, Miss. Powell observed. The normal kids that participated were participating and the ones who didn't just nodded like they understood. She sighed mentally and tried to think of a plan that would get them to react. What discussion would get them to think? Maybe something that they could relate to?

She smiled and cleared her throat. "I want to hear your guys' opinion about a question I've been thinking about lately." They just stared at her so she continued. "It came to me right after we finished _The Return of the Native_." The room was still silent and her eyes narrowed. "Uh-huh, that what I thought. But let's just get past the fact that kids never read school required books and focus on the question I wanted to ask you. Do you believe in a good first impression?" She tapped her finger on the desk she was sitting at. The room was still silent and every student was avoiding her eyes. She sighed heavily. "Come on guys. Someone has to have an opinion. This is an _open_ discussion and you didn't even have to read the book. Why are first impressions so important? Are they important?"

"They are, because we create an image of a personality through a person's words and actions. What someone does defines them." Sharpay Evans sighed from the back of the room and looked out the window. "Say a man walks down the street in a tattered overcoat and is rambling on in an incoherent language that no one can decipher. Uncut hair, bad breath. What does the pretty, well kept, well educated, blond across the street do? The man has instantly — though unintentionally — painted her a picture of an unfamiliar life full of hardships she will never understand, which in turn offers her the ability to _judge_ him. But the judgment is difficult and often a little, how should I put this," she paused and searched for the right word, "harsh, I guess. The reasons behind judging are not always understandable or obvious. Actions can be twisted, distorted, warped into lies. Everything a person does can be misinterpreted."

Miss. Powell gave a satisfying smile. "Very good Miss. Evans." She held up a finger, "but why do we do this? Paint pictures, that might not always be the truth, from first impressions?"

"What other choice do we really have though?" Gabriella Montez fiddled with her pencil before taking a deep breath and glancing up to Troy out of habit. "How else can we understand a person, learn to trust them — care for them — if we don't know who they are because we can't believe what they do or say reflects their character?" she paused and shifted in her seat. "It gets back to the whole first impression and judging people thing. People don't really control themselves. In the end, we all control everyone and anyone but ourselves. We may act differently around someone just for the fact that we can control them that way, but it might not be who we truly are."

Miss. Powell gave an excited grin. "Interesting thought Miss. Montez. But I do have a challenge for that. If that's true, then no one really has any power because these struggles – with our constant need to figure someone out the first time we meet them, or to categorize them in the same or different social class as ourselves – are even more delicate and vague then we could have ever believed. If there's no way to get rid of or escape them then how can we trust anyone to be real if they don't even have the option of being so because there's no such thing as _individuality_? In order to judge, we have to have a control. Right there, we already have an expectation. If we want to constantly group people together, then there is no one who is truly individual, is there?"

"But then I guess I don't understand," Chad Danforth interrupted, his eyes scrunched up in thought. "If what you guys are saying is true, then where does that put the people who are trying so hard to figure out who _they_ are? If there is no individuality, then aren't they going to come up empty?"

The room fell silent. The astonished look on Miss. Powell's face turned into a giddy smile. "Mr. Danforth, I give you only one word. _Exactly_." She made a motion with her hand that signaled for him to continue his thought.

Chad paused for a long time before speaking. "Since I know people who are searching for that one defining characteristic, the one thing that puts them apart from everyone else." He paused and tilted his head, like he didn't understand the answer that was going through his head. "Then that would mean society is a bunch of liars because _there is_ individuality."

Miss. Powell clapped her hands together. "Exactly Mr. Danforth!"

"So that means that instead of letting knowledge prevent people from believing each other — like society has _planned_ with all the _judging_ and _lies _that would create a false sense of_ knowledge _— we let the risk of being betrayed up the ante of a relationship. I think, us as teens or young adults are selfish because we know lying to a girlfriend, boyfriend, a person in general, would only chase us apart, that the option would leave us alone and in the end, dead. So we shy away from it instinctively, and in doing so, not _lie_. Because we don't want to fade away to nothing. Sometimes lying inst the first thing we think to do. When we don't lie, we are moving away from the image _society_ has _judged _and _known_ us to be." Troy Bolton locked eyes with Miss. Powell. "Our fear makes us unique."

"Good Mr. Bolton." Miss. Powell nodded her head. "That brings me to my next subject: _Attention_. Why do people thrive off of attention? Is it the fear of being exactly like everyone else the fuel that we use to be so different?"

Taylor McKessie cleared her throat. "Why draw attention to ourselves when the attention of others doesn't matter? Being yourself is so much more important than being something someone else wants you to be."

"Yes," Miss. Powell touched a finger to her chin. "It's not the question of why people _themselves_ thriving off of attention, but it's the _kind of_ attention they get and where in life it gets them. Very good, I understand Miss. McKessie."

"But why not dare to draw attention?" Sharpay asked. "What other way is there for us to be remembered, for us to make a mark on a society that wants us all to be the same? We draw attention to be different."

"A mark?" Gabriella laughed. "What mark is there for us to make? Humanity has remembered presidents — mostly the ones who have been assassinated or have screwed up. They remember terrorists and humanists. Singers and artists. Philosophers and realists. Saints and serial murderers. But how long will it take to forget? We make the mistake of thinking that being placed in a history book means that we'll be remembered _forever_. We don't, as a species because we're so _concerned_ with being remembered, put things into perspective. We never look at the long run," she paused and shrugged, "or maybe we do and just don't realize _how long _the long run actually is."

There was a murmur amongst the kids in the room and Miss. Powell cleared her voice. "Miss. Montez has put up a valid point. Who in this room is afraid of being forgotten?" At first no one moved, but then, after the question had had a chance to sink in, one after another rose. Troy was first, Chad followed and then everyone's hands were in the air.

Miss. Powell nodded her head. "That's what I thought. And I am for and against what Miss. Montez has said. First I will go with the for." She stood from her chair and started towards the breaks in the rows for the desks. "How long do you think humans have recorded history? Take that into account and it's a fraction of humanity. That's a fraction of the existence of the Earth. Which in turn is a fraction of the lifespan of the solar system, then of the universe, and then of _existence_ _itself_. Now, I'm not so sure about you guys, but I have a hard time remembering where I put my wallet let alone what happened in 204 A.D. Our memory is a fraction of a blink of whatever God there was or may be. What good are a few history books compared to the span of_ all time_?"

Troy sat open mouthed. He had always thought about remembrance, never glanced back on the thought of _not_ being remembered. But the way Gabriella and Miss. Powell had put it, there was a lot going against him. An anxious dread crawled up his spine and he looked around the classroom. Chad looked like he was concentrating too hard and Sharpay looked like she was about to faint. Troy knew for a fact that she was afraid of being forgotten. Everyone was and there was a tight tension growing inside the room, he kind of enjoyed it. The discussion was keeping things interesting.

"But." Miss. Powell raised a finger. "We still remember Hitler, right? We still know about Stalin, Mussolini and all those dictators. We remember the Aztecs, Mayans and Incans. We've predicted the end of the world at 2012 because the Mayan calendar just _ends_. They've changed things, noticeable things, which I think is what Miss. Montez is referring to when she was talking about _us _as a _single_ human being trying to make a difference. But still, things happen, whether recognized or not, remembered or not. _But_," she put up a finger and paused for dramatic effect, "I do not simply believe that things are just forgotten. Perhaps they're just not remembered the right way or by the right people is all."

"What's the point then?" Troy asked the question that so many people were thinking. "If nothing is concrete, how are we supposed to figure out what we're supposed to do? Why bother with anything when nothing is guaranteed?"

Miss. Powell eyes lit up and she grew silent. "That's the golden question, isn't it?"

"So what do you do?" Chad asked in a hesitant voice.

"What _can_ you do?" Miss. Powell paused for one long moment and then shrugged. "Survive," she replied simply. "Skip everything boring and do the things that matter the most because that's all that's really important. Have fun and be different. In a society where you take Student Aptitude Tests and are given gym uniforms and school uniforms. Take risks." There was a small chorus of laughs and she eyed them keenly. "But of course, be smart about it. Be safe about it. Just do me a favor and don't be like everyone else who is normal."

"Out of all we've discussed, being different sounds like a waste of time." Troy said adamantly. "What good is there in trying to be different if you know people won't accept you because they want you to be exactly like everyone else?"

Miss. Powell cocked her head to the side at his comment. "What else are you going to do then, Troy? Play basketball your whole life." A soft snicker radiated trough the room. "Don't get me wrong, you could do it, your talented enough, but it would be boring and you could do so much better." Troy wasn't sure whether he caught it or not, but Miss. Powell glanced briefly to Gabriella while she said the last part.

Troy shifted his eyes up, clenching his fist on the top of his desk. He squared his shoulders and relaxed. "Then I refuse to just simply exist."

"Very good Mr. Bolton." An accomplished smile spread across her slightly aged face. "You have shown what defines the teens of your graduating class. You all have the same quality, some stronger than others, but it is still there. You all possess the refusal to give up."

"Wait." Chad scrunched his eyes together. "Did you just call us all stubborn?"

Miss. Powell laughed. "Unintentionally, Mr. Danforth, but it has been called many things over the years. I have seen it most prominent in the younger generation. More women are breaking the Glass Ceiling in the workplace; there are more and more young writers. Teens are accomplishing things it had taken my generation years to do. You hear about all the young talent in music and dancing. Even acting has its fair share of kids and teens." She paused and raised a finger. "But what does this all mean?"

"That we, as a generation, are refusing to accept societies norm." Gabriella translated in a satisfied tone.

"Precisely Miss. Montez." Miss. Powell took her seat and glanced to the clock. "Dare to be different."

Troy raised his hand after the class had grown silent and Miss. Powell nodded her head. "Um, how different, would you say, is different?"

Miss. Powell's head tilted to the side and she smiled. "Why are you asking for my opinion Mr. Bolton?"

"Because you asked for ours," Troy rounded confidently with a smile. He glanced over his shoulder and caught Gabriella's face. She was eyeing him cautiously. He gave her a soft smile that told her he wasn't going to spill anything, she believed him.

"Touché." Miss. Powell nodded her head but the bell cut her off before she could answer him. "Next time Mr. Bolton and since you guys actually _talked_ in the discussion, there's no homework." Cheers erupted around Troy as he stood up and walked towards the door. He felt Gabriella grab his hand as they entered the hallway.

"You're just trying to give me a heart attack, aren't you?" Her other hand wrapped around his arm and she rested her head on his shoulder as they walked.

"Relax," he threw her a grin. "Do you really think anyone is going to find out? It's a one in a million chance that anyone would guess, let alone find out about us."

"It's easier now," she placed a hand on his stomach right over his belly button. "It grows darker the longer and closer we are to each other. That's why you never saw mine. My dad was never around long enough for my body to feel his power."

"What's easier now?" The two whirled around to see Kelsi along with Jason coming up behind them.

"Oh, uhh, this calculus stuff." Troy motioned to his backpack slung over his shoulder. "Who knew that she was also brilliant in math?" He smiled towards Gabriella.

"Well I'm glad you're not having trouble with it anymore." Kelsi didn't look like she believed them at all, but understood that they were avoiding the subject for a reason.

"Thanks Kels." Troy smiled and then glanced to a clock on the wall. "We better go Jason, we're gonna be late." He hoisted his bag out of his locker they had stopped at and turned to Gabriella. "I'll meet you outside the gym after free period is over, okay?"

"Okay." She kissed him and smiled. "Don't be late."

"I won't."

**--XxX--**

Gabriella entered Miss. Darbus' class with Kelsi, finding that Sharpay and Taylor were already there. A few other kids were in the back room, pulling out the paints they were going to use for the new mural for the science wing upstairs.

"Now Gabriella," Sharpay started as she sat down, "I have only agreed to do this little paint session _if and only if_ I get community service hours."

"You do, don't worry." Gabriella smiled and pulled a plastic bag out of her backpack. "But you might want to change out of those cloths into some older ones. I wouldn't want you to get paint on them."

Sharpay tilted her head. "You say that like I _own_ old cloths."

Gabriella sighed. "I thought you would say something like that." She patted the plastic bag on the desk. "That's why there's two sets of cloths in here."

"Where are you going to change?" Kelsi asked. She had stated earlier that she was the supervisor, not a painter. "The bathroom or the girls locker room?"

"Bathroom's closer." Taylor said making her way towards the door.

"Be back in ten minutes girls!" Miss. Darbus yelled from the storage room in the back. "We're starting soon!"

The walk was short, but it was one of the smaller bathrooms in the school. It was going to be cramped and it soon dawned on her that she was going to have to change with the others around. Dread crawled up her spin as they entered the bathroom, and Gabriella made her way towards one of the stalls. But she _hated_ changing in bathroom stalls.

"Gabriella, I need the cloths." Sharpay was standing in front of the mirror, fussing with her hair.

Gabriella sighed. It was just a tattoo, right? How much harm could it do if they found out about it. Besides, she really, _really_ hated changing in bathroom stalls. She caught Taylor's eyes as she pulled out the second set of cloths from the plastic bag. She handed them to Sharpay and pulled the other set out for herself.

Sharpay pulled off her shirt and grabbed the one Gabriella had given her. It was a plain whit T, and she groaned before shrugging in over her head. She heard the plastic bag ruffle and Gabriella move beside her. As Sharpay's head slipped through the hole at the top of the shirt, that's when she saw it.

There, marring the tan perfection of teen skin on Gabriella's stomach was a thick, round circle of scar tissue. The size and shape was identical to a gunshot injury, but how the small brunette would have gotten such a life-threatening wound perplexed Sharpay. It was expertly aimed, in the one area of the body where the small and large intestines along with the pancreas, gall bladder and portal vein would be pierced. Where bleeding would be quick and heavy. Where surviving would be next to impossible.

It was a kill shot.

The bored look vanished from her face as Gabriella followed Sharpay's gaze from the mirror down to her exposed skin. She quickly covered the scar. Her father had always told her that it had had something to do with her getting sick so long ago. But it had turned out to be a fake sick that was actually a gunshot from a rival werewolf.

But the less Sharpay _truly_ knew about her, the better. She had already dragged too many friends into _her_ war.

"Who did that to you?" The blond asked with surprise.

Gabriella's answer was vague. She shrugged. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Unlike Kelsi, Sharpay was a little more oblivious to the touchy subject. "It looks like you were shot."

"Shot?" Gabriella forced a laugh and a smile. "Can you picture me in a blazing gun battle Sharpay? Besides, if I was shot right there, I don't think I would be standing in front of you today."

"I'm just saying." Sharpay shrugged and then turned again, eyes small. "What was that black thing?"

Gabriella's eyes grew big. "What black thing?"

Before she could prepare herself, Sharpay pulled up her shirt, revealing the wolf paw print. "That black thing." Sharpay said smugly. "Gabriella Montez has a tattoo?"

"Why do you say it like that?" Gabriella snapped pulling her shirt down. "It's not that hard to believe."

Sharpay choked on a laugh. "Uhh, yeah it is."

"Just hurry up and change, Sharpay." Taylor groaned, putting her regular cloths in a bag she had slung over her shoulder.

The blond turned. "Why are you not as surprised as me about this, Taylor?" Her eyes grew big at the realization. "You knew, didn't you?"

Taylor sighed. "I was with her when she got it done."

"I think that's the first rebellious things you've done yet, Gabriella." Sharpay had a mischievous smile on her face. "Why didn't you tell anyone? That tattoo's hot." She let out a little squeal and clapped her hands together. "I'm so proud of you!"

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "I didn't tell anyone because I knew they would make a big deal about it." Gabriella stuffed her regular cloths in the plastic bag. "Kind of like you're doing right now."

"I can't help it, okay." Sharpay smile widened as she made her way out of the bathroom. "I'm witnessing history. The most innocent girl in school has taken one step towards rebellious teen life."

"Seriously," Gabriella stopped and spun to face Sharpay, "I'm not as innocent as everyone thinks I am."

Sharpay mouth fell open, before it morphed into a smile. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Leave her alone, Sharpay." Taylor cut in.

Sharpay was still staring at Gabriella, waiting for an answer. The brunette just stared back, and then a smiled crawled across her face. Gabriella turned and started walking towards Miss. Darbus' classroom.

Sharpay stood stunned for a second. "What? Are you serious?" She went forward and matched pace. "That's all your going to give me? You can't leave me hanging like that!" Sharpay would have continued, but Gabriella had stopped dead in her tracks. She was staring out one of the windows, her hands clenching at her sides.

"Gabriella?" Taylor put a hand on her friends shoulder. "What's wrong?" She followed the brunettes' gaze and her breath stopped. A man was standing across the street from the school, his arms crossed leisurely across his chest. He was positioned under one of the trees on the other side of the road, a sharp black suite wrapped around his body.

"Is that?" Sharpay's head went to one side, her voice confused.

"Gabby!" A mans voice echoed from the end of the hallway and the three girls turned. Reid was jogging slight towards them with Ryan hot on his heals.

"Reid." Gabriella confirmed. "Ryan."

"Where's Troy?" Ryan asked, glancing between the three girls.

"The gym. Downstairs."

Ryan turned to her brother and he gave her the slightest of nodded. "I'll go get him. Meet us at the exit."

"Do you know where the gym is?" Taylor asked. The twin shook her head. "I'll go with you then."

The two left and Sharpay cut in. "What is going on?" She turned to Reid. "And who are you? How do you know Gabriella?" She was looking the other blond up and down with a small smile on her face.

"I'm her cousin." Reid answered glancing out the window towards the man. His firsts clenched and the hairs on his arms stood on end.

Gabriella let out a little growl at the fear that was crawling up her spine. She could feel it now, the power that was being drawn to East High. "It's happening," she whispered.

"They're here." Reid confirmed. "Alex felt them gathering close to the school. Told us to come over and get you and Troy out." He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "I just didn't expect them to get organized so quick. They have the building surrounded. You can feel it, I can feel it."

"I can't believe they're sacrificing their exposure just to get to me and Troy. It doesn't make sense at all." Gabriella shook her head. "The rules can't just _change_. Not like this."

Sharpay stepped between the twos sight of the man outside and waved her hands. "Umm, hello? What the hell are you two talking about?"

"It's nothing Sharpay." Gabriella answered, her jaw clenching. "Go and tell Miss. Darbus that me and Taylor won't be there to help for free period."

"What?" Her eyes grew skeptical. "Why?"

"Please, just do this one thing for me, Sharpay." Gabriella pleaded.

The blond paused for a second, and then nodded her head slightly. Gabriella could see a little fear surfacing in her friend's eyes at her tone of voice. Sharpay turned and made her way to Miss. Darbus' classroom.

That's when the lights went out.

Sharpay whipped her body around. "What the hell?"

Reid cursed. "They're already in the school."

Gabriella's eye frantically glanced outside the widow. Bruce Fury was no longer standing beneath the tree. It was growing dark outside, the sky threatening rain. That's when Gabriella felt it. Dread and fear crawled up her spin and her mind was screaming at her to run. Wet dog invaded her nose and the smell just confirmed her fears.

A man turned the corner at the end of the hallway, his hand moving up. Instinctively Gabriella rushed to Sharpay's side, flattening her against the ground as silenced bullets hit the cement on the wall above their heads.

"Gabriella!" Reid grabbed her shoulder and hauled her around the corner, Sharpay being dragged behind them. Bullets hit the floor and wall as the three made it to safety.

"_What in gods name is going on!?"_ Sharpay bellowed. _"Is he shooting at us?"_

"He's not shooting at _you_." Gabriella answered, peaking her head around the corner. The concrete above her head burst into pieces and her hands went to cover her head out of reflex. What she had been afraid of all along was coming true before her eyes.

Werewolves were in East High.

Something told her that Troy was going to be late.

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**


	19. Complications and an Ultimatum?

_LAST TIME-_

"_What in gods name is going on!?" Sharpay bellowed. "Is he shooting at us?"_

"_He's not shooting at you." Gabriella answered, peaking her head around the corner. The concrete above her head burst into pieces and her hands went to cover her head out of reflex. What she had been afraid of all along was coming true before her eyes._

_Werewolves were in East High._

_Something told her Troy was going to be late._

* * *

"What do we do?" Sharpay hissed over the hail of bullets.

"_You_ aren't going to do anything." Gabriella growled. She then turned to Reid. "I need you to look after Sharpay. I'm going to find Troy."

"Do you think splitting up is such a good idea?" His eyes flickered briefly to Sharpay. "We're at a disadvantage right now."

"He wants _me_," Gabriella said flatly. "And I figure why not give him what he wants."

Gabriella knew Reid. He was very loyal — followed orders to the t. But when a circumstance was presented with multiple outcomes, he would follow the most successful, no matter what that entailed. So, she knew he would follow her plan before he even tried to talk her out of it. It made the most sense. Why let the three of them get caught _together_, when they could cut the chance in half if they split up?

"You have to be careful Gabby." Reid glanced quickly around the corner, bullets hitting the floor. "I can't tell you what to do and not to do, I leave that to Alex, but I do urge you to make the right decision." He locked eyes with his younger cousin, his voice turning firm. "Is he worth it?"

"Absolutely."

Reid let out a heavy sigh. "Then I can't stop you."

Gabriella nodded, an understanding passing between the two. "I'll draw him away, you get Sharpay out of here."

"Alex is going to have my head for this." Reid gave a hesitant smile. "Be careful."

"Gabriella," Sharpay glanced at her with fearful eyes. "What is going on? Why do they want you?"

"That's not important." Gabriella put a hand on her friends shoulder. "All that matters is getting you out of here safely."

"It's suicide!" Sharpay roared. "I'm not going to let you put your life at risk just to protect me! He has a _gun_ for Christ's sake!"

"And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you that I knew I could have prevented." She shot back in a controlled voice. A small smile crawled across her face and she shrugged lightly. "Besides, I can deal with guns."

"But —"

"No buts Sharpay." Gabriella cut her friend off. "Please, just stay close to Reid. He'll get you out of here." She turned to her cousin. "I'm trusting you."

"I'll guard her with my life."

Gabriella nodded. "On my mark then." She shifted closer to the corner, sticking her head around the edge. She pulled back almost instantly, bullets ripping into the wall. She closed her eyes and concentrated. _One. Two — Three. Four. Five. Six — Seven — Eight…Nine. Ten — Eleven. Twelve…Thirteen._ She burst around the corner before the gun clicked empty. "Now!"

"Gabriella!" Sharpay cried, reaching for her friend.

Reid held her back. "Believe me when I say this, Sharpay. Gabriella is very good at —" he paused and smiled, "— kicking the shit out of people. She'll be fine."

"I don't think you realize," the blond said in surprise, "Gabriella Montez and 'kicking the shit out of people' doesn't really go together in my book. It's kind of like oil and water."

Reid glanced around the corner to an empty hallway before he answered. "Trust me Sharpay," he gave a forced smile, "she's done this type of thing before."

"Well, shit," Sharpay said irritably. "Why didn't you say so in the first place? That makes me feel a _whole_ lot better."

**-XxX-**

Gabriella glared at the man as he let out a startled yelp and grabbed for his back pocket frantically. In that moment she realized that she wouldn't make it to him before he reloaded a new clip into his gun. Changed of plans. Instead of charging him, she cut to the right, dashing into another hallway. She slowed, glancing over her shoulder. The man roared from around the corner, his arm already up. She turned and sprinted, shifting lower to the ground. Bullets shattered the ground next to her right foot and she went down, clutching at her leg in mock agony.

Like she had hoped for, the werewolf stopped firing and approached her cautiously. "Give up already. I was given orders not to kill you. Save yourself some pain and just come with me quietly."

"Yeah, right," Gabriella hissed between her teeth. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because," She felt a hand on her shoulder and she was rolled over. "I follow orders very well."

"I hoped you would." A dark smile crawled across her face and she planted a firm kick between his legs. Horror crossed his face before the pain registered. He reeled forward and she slammed the heel of her shoe into the bottom of his chin. His head snapped towards the ceiling and he fell backwards onto his back.

She got to her feet, smiling down at the unconscious werewolf. She grabbed the gun that had slipped from his hand and emptied the magazine, throwing in to the side. She then clicked off the barrel and threw it in the opposite direction. Satisfied that he was going to be out of commission for a while, she turned and made her way towards the gym.

She walked cautiously, passing by classrooms and empty hallways, but she didn't run into anyone else upstairs. The teachers must have followed lockdown protocol as soon as the lights went out and the backup generators hadn't kicked in. She had to give credit to Bruce. Cutting the power, which also turned off the security cameras and fire alarms, meant that no one would know that they were even in the school. Knowing the werewolves, they probably shut down the power grid around the school too, so even cell phones wouldn't work.

She paused, crouching lower to the ground when she heard voices. She inched towards the top of the main stairwell in East High, glancing down and around the white concrete of the wall. She rolled her eyes and groaned in aggravation. Five, maybe seven werewolves were at the base of the stairs, and by the smell of gunpowder, she knew they had guns.

_Maybe splitting up wasn't such a good—_

A sharp tingle ran up her spine, and the strong smell of timber and fur washed over her nose, but her realization ground to an abrupt halt. And that's when her world exploded. Someone lashed out multiple times, connecting once with her back that sent her to the ground, and then solidly with her stomach twice. Her eyes bulged. She felt all the air rush from her lungs as she slid away. She recovered quickly, taking a deep breath as she got to her feet.

She turned, facing the group of men standing behind her and rolled her eyes. Four men had flanked her, and she cursed herself mentally. She had gotten rusty in her casual life. Out of instinct, she took another deep breath and straightened to face them.

Werewolves — a group of them. Smaller than the one downstairs, but that just meant there were more.

Someone up there _really_ didn't like her.

"Gabriella Montez." One of the werewolves voice was low. "You can cooperate with us willingly," he stepped closer, " — or we can make you by force."

She directed her glare to the werewolf who had addressed her and didn't reply.

"We will break every bone in your body if it comes down to that." Another, smaller werewolf added flatly, grinning.

Gabriella raised her eyebrows. "I'm not sure if I should be intimidated by that comment or not." She let out a mocking laugh. "I don't even know if I can take it as a threat."

The small werewolf growled and took a step towards her. The other three hesitated slowly, eyeing Gabriella's defensive posture, before closing in themselves. Gabriella swallowed and tightened her fists. She knew the odds were not in her favor and she knew the outcome of the fight already. But she was damned if she was going to let them take her without a fight. She could probably keep a number of them busy while Reid and the others got out. And when it came down to it, she would protect Troy by any means necessary.

Her dark eyes narrowed, her stance dropping into a stronger defense. "Well then," she whispered. "I guess you're going to have to _try_ and break every bone in my body."

**-XxX-**

Troy Bolton knew something was wrong.

It might have been the fact that the lights had suddenly gone out, or that the backup generators hadn't kick in. But mostly, it was seeing Ryan _and_ Taylor burst into the gym, eyes frantic and crazy. The two of them together was never a good sign. The sight of them made his senses burst, and he felt a lurking danger crawl up his spine.

They didn't even have to explain what was going on when they reached him. "They're here, aren't they?" He said, voice even with surprising acceptance.

Ryan gave a grim nod. "I need to get you out of here," she paused briefly as Chad jogged over. "Right now."

"Hey Taylor." Chad swung his arm around his girlfriends shoulder, completely oblivious. "Hey Ryan." His eyes scrunched together. "What are you doing here?"

Taylor groaned and Ryan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You really are dense, aren't you?" The blond twin said in a board tone.

"Please just ignore him," Taylor said. "Back to the fact that _they're here_."

Chad's mouth dropped open. "That's bad." His eyes grew bigger. "Shit. That's _really _bad."

"Yes genius. _Bad_." Troy agreed.

"Chad! Troy!" The group turned to see Mr. Harris walking towards them. The assistant coach stopped, glancing from Ryan to Taylor. "I'm sorry ladies, but this is a closed practice."

"It's really going to be a closed practice in about three minutes, sir." Ryan replied in a light voice. "I suggest that you get your team into the locker room and lock the doors behind you."

"I beg your pardon, miss?" The older assistant coach looked confused. "Is something wrong?"

"Did you come to that conclusion _before_ or _after_ the lights went out?" Ryan replied sarcastically. Mr. Harris' eyes grew to slits from the insult, but before he could say anything back, Ryan lifted the bottom of her shirt up lightly, revealing a shiny, gold police badge secured snugly on her belt. "I suggest you follow my orders, sir."

Mr. Harris' straight face turned into a grin. He laughed in her face. "Am I supposed to believe that little plastic thing? It doesn't even look re — " Ryan cleared her throat politely and opened up the right side of her jacket. Just visible beneath her arm was a black handgun strapped to her side. Mr. Harris stopped laughing instantly, a nervous swallow flowing down his throat, " — that looks pretty real."

"I really don't like repeating myself," Ryan replied sternly. "_Sir_."

"Oh, Holy shit." the older man started hyperventilating, but followed Ryan's orders. He turned to his team, who had stopped practicing and were eyeing the group cautiously. "Get to the locker rooms now!" At first no one moved. "Get your asses moving!" The team scattered towards the locker room.

Mr. Harris turned to Troy and Chad. "Come on guys, you heard the lady."

"No," Ryan interjected, "they're coming with me."

"But — "

"_Sir_," Ryan said fiercely, "_they're coming with me_."

The assistant coach raised his hands up in defense before he turned and made his way to the locker room. Ryan turned to Troy, grabbing his arm and dragging him to the exit of the gym, the others following.

"I need to get you out."

"Don't you think I _know_ that," Troy shook his arm from her grasp as they entered the hallway. "I'll go with you, you don't have to be pushy abo — " He stopped mid sentence, cerulean eyes going wide. An invisible force slugged him in the gut. He doubled over and staggered to the side, clutching at his stomach as his shoulder slammed into the lockers lining the wall. "Something's wro — " He tried to talk, but the air escaped his lungs again and his knees buckled beneath him. His words came out more as a forced gag than any kind of understandable language.

"Troy!" Ryan went to his side immediately, shaking him by the shoulders. "_Troy!_" But nothing she could do worked. His blue eyes were wide, but it looked like he wasn't seeing her, or anything else around them for that matter.

"I ca — I can't stop it — " He let air out from between his clenched teeth and then his pupils dilated and he whispered, "Oh, no — _God no_." He wasn't seeing through his own eyes, but through Gabriella's.

_The smallest werewolf lashed out, but she ducked and caught his wrist, throwing her shoulder into his chest. He staggered backwards and the werewolf to her left, a big, burly man, snapped a kick towards her head. She lent backwards, letting it pass with no real harm and shot forward, throwing a quick jab to his throat. He went down instantly, gagging._

Troy dragged in a much needed breath, and distantly heard Ryan calling his name frantically.

_Gabriella paused and returned her fists up to her face in defense, shifting her weight from foot to foot. She let the smallest of smiles cross her face as the two remaining werewolves in front of her took a step back. But her advancement towards them was cut off when arms of steel wrapped around her shoulders and chest from behind. The two werewolves in front of her took the chance and charged, both drawing back fists._

_She threw her weight backwards, brining both feet up to kick the charging men square in the face. The werewolf behind her was strong and didn't fall when he was dealt with her extra weight; instead, he tightened his grip around her chest. She gasped for breath before snapping her head back instinctively. She felt a couple of his teeth rip across the back of her head and stars splattered across her vision, but he did not let go. Gritting her teeth, she rammed her head back again, pain exploding behind her eyes as she felt his nose break under the force of the blow. They both went reeling backwards and his arms went slack when his back smashed into the floor._

_She groaned and rolled off of him, pushing herself up to her hands and knees. She looked up just in time to see a foot centimeters from her face. The blow sent her to the ground, head pounding. She roared and pushed herself to her feet, only to be met with more werewolves coming up the main stairwell. A growl escaped from her throat and the closes werewolf threw himself at her, his face burying itself in her chest as he wrapped his arms around her back. He picked her up without a second thought and slammed her back to the linoleum of the hallway._

Troy snapped his head to the side to try and get the images out of his head. When that didn't work he arched his back and slammed it back down. Unconsciously, tears slipped from the corners of his wide eyes and he brought in another hysterical breath. "Don't let — Don't let it happ — happen! We have — have to st — stop it!" He took in another deep breath. "Have to help!"

Taylor looked pleadingly to Ryan. "What's happening?"

Ryan paused for the longest of moments, almost to the point where she couldn't have said anything except 'I don't know'. But she looked closely at Troy's dilated eyes and his frantic, but desperate body patter. "I can't be certain, but I think he's seeing through someone else's eyes."

_The werewolf's hold around her stomach relinquished and her body arched her back, trying to draw in the breath that had fled from her lungs. She rolled to her side and staggered to her feet, putting her hands up in defense again. She distinctly didn't remember ten werewolves downstairs and she shook her head, trying to clear it. It was enough to set her vision straight and the adrenalin running through her system kicked in to make all the pains and aches on her body disappear, for the time being, that is._

"What?" Chad said off of a slightly insane look. "Can you guys do that too?"

"No, we can't _do that too_!" Ryan snapped in an impatient tone before growing silent again. "It must have been a complication from the healing."

"_Complication_!?" Taylor roared.

"What? You didn't think there were going to be complications?" Ryan said through clenched teeth, trying to hold Troy's thrashing body down. "She was a Walker, he wasn't. She was young and he was dying. She might have been able to heal me or her father at that age with that kind of wound, but not someone who wasn't _one of us_." She paused and caught Troy's thrashing outstretched fist. "There were always going to be complications! If the healing itself didn't kill her."

"So what you're trying to say is that he's seeing through Gabriella's eyes?" Taylor asked, clenching her nose between her thumb and index finger.

"That would be my best bet." Ryan said grimly. She sighed and grabbed Troy under the arms. "Help me get him up, Chad."

"Where are we going?" Taylor asked suddenly. "You can't possibly be thinking of _leaving_. Not if he's like this," she waved her hand at Troy's semi conscious body. "What's happening to Gabriella that's making him like this?"

"Taylor, relax." Ryan said sternly. "I'm not leaving Gabriella. I don't turn my back on my family." She pulled Troy up again and started walking. "I was told to get _both_ of them out of here — That's what I intend to do."

At that moment, Troy grabbed onto the fabric of Chad's t-shirt and let a broken sob escape him mouth. His teeth ground back together and he could feel his racing heartbeat in his head. His free hand grabbed onto the fabric of his own t-shirt and he clenched his eye shut in a mad attempt to get the images out.

_The werewolf that had slammed her to the ground smiled a tight smile, his eyes shining with the smallest bit of astonishment — and respect. She motioned with her hand for him to 'bring it' and he nodded his head. He sauntered forward slowly, sizing her up. At the same time, they both punched forward and dodged the others attack. Again they dropped back and waited for the other to make the first move. The werewolf's eye glanced briefly at a space over her left should, and out of instinct, her eyes followed his gaze. While her mind was yelling at her to not fall for it, her body did and that's when he attacked._

_Her head moved to the right without her recognition as his fist passed by her face, and she retaliated with a punch of her own. He caught her wrist effortlessly and spun her arm behind her back in one fluid motion. She tried to snap her head back like before, but he knew it was coming and kept his face a safe distance away. She tried to elbow him in the ribs with her free arm, but he slipped his hand behind her elbow and pulling it tightly behind her back. She tried to shake her shoulders, but he held her arms strong, twisting one of them farther up her back. The action made her fight harder, and in turn her arm was twisted further, almost to the point of breaking. She was about to spit curses at him when she felt a crude hand on her shoulder. She glanced up to find the werewolf, whose nose she had broken earlier, standing in front of her._

_"Bruce needs her alive, Vince," the werewolf behind her stated in a board tone._

_The werewolf's smile in front of her was dark as he spoke. "See, when he says alive, I hear conscious." He balled his fist and sent it into her stomach. She doubled over and would have collapsed if not for the werewolf holding her up. "And there are many forms to being conscious."_

_Gabriella let out a hoarse laugh. "I'm not afraid of you." She spat on his shoes and glared at him._

_"Well," his fist found her stomach again. "I guess I'm going to have to do something about that." And again. And again. And Again._

Troy head butted the closest thing to him, which happened to be Chad's chest and let out a roar so loud and pain filled that Taylor had to cover her ears with her hands. He dropped to all fours, because both Chad and Ryan had dropped him, and shifted. His body moved automatically, his paws clawing at the linoleum of the hallway floor as if he were digging. He tried to get away from the images, and he put both of his paws over his eyes and let out a low howl. He shifted back to his human form and brought his hand to his head, drawing his knees to his chest.

"_For god sakes!_" Ryan hollered after getting her hearing back. "_Troy! Snap out of it!"_

In that instant, Reid rounded the corer of the hallway, a handgun at eye level. He stopped almost instantly, Sharpay, who had been following, rammed into his back.

"Jesus, Reid," She said in aggravation. "Tell a girl when you—" She dragged in a breath, her hand flying to cover her mouth at the sight of the three people on the floor.

"We thought you were _them_." Reid explained, putting the handgun back in its holster under his left arm.

"I wouldn't doubt it with the racket he's making." Ryan snarled impatiently motioning to Troy's withering body.

"What's wrong with him?" Sharpay asked kneeling next to the blue-eyed boy. She reached out hesitantly for his shoulder, but he rolled away violently.

"He's seeing and feeling her pain." Ryan said grimly.

Sharpay didn't even have to ask who they were talking about. She knew the only person that could make Troy act like this. "Gabriella," she mumbled. "But how?" She reached her hand out again, this time it found his forehead, and his thrashing lessened slightly.

The twins stayed silent and so did Taylor and Chad. Sharpay was the only one in the group that didn't know. But at the rate she was going, she would find out Gabriella and Troy's secret and a whole lot more.

"I don't know." Ryan said vaguely. It was kind of the truth. "All I know is that Gabriella needs our help and he's down there freaking out."

The next moment shocked everyone. Sharpay grabbed Troy by the collar and slapped him hard across the face. "_Troy Alexander Bolton!_" She bellowed. "_You will stop this bitch fit and snap out of it! I am not going to let Gabriella Montez risk her life to save mine and do nothing to help her! You will help me or so god I will burn down your precious gym and make sure it never gets rebuilt!_"

His blue eyes widened, if that was even possibly, and his thrashing stopped instantly. His hand reached up and he felt the fire engine red mark on his cheek. He sat up, never remembering how he got on the floor, and glanced to Sharpay. "Tha — Thank you."

"Save it." Sharpay snapped, getting to her feet. "We have to go save your girlfriend right now." She offered her hand and he took it, getting to his feet.

He turned to the others. "I know where they are." Without any recognition, he turned the corner and started toward the main stairway.

It didn't take long before they heard voices. So their walk slowed and their stances lowered towards the ground. Troy inched towards the corner that would put him at the middle of the main hallway and about 35 feet from the staircase. A quick glance around the corner showed that there were about seven werewolves circled around Gabriella. Troy's jaw locked almost instantly.

She was on all fours, her dark hair draping over her shoulders and into her face. The werewolves around her would take turns nudging her sides with their foots and then laugh as she swiped at them weakly. Bruce Fury was watching the events with a smile on his face, arms crossed over his chest. Landon was on his right, crouching and laughing out loud at the sight in front of him. Blain was off slightly to the left, his face a mixture of pain and an emotion Troy couldn't decipher at his distance.

Troy spat courses under his breath and Bruce's head snapped to attention. A smile crossed the old werewolf's face. "Finally, Mr. Bolton. I was beginning to think that you were actually going to _leave_ her."

Troy's fists clenched and he went to stand up, but Reid's hand on his arm stopped him. "You go out there and you're doing exactly what he wants you to do, Troy."

"_I don't care,_" Troy growled.

"Troy!" Bruce bellowed from around the corner. "Why don't you stop hiding and come on out!"

Troy shook off Reid's hand and set his face straight. "You guys stay here and think of a plan. I'll go see what the cranky werewolf wants." Before his friends could protest, he turned the corner and faced the small horde of werewolves.

"At last. Troy." Bruce smiled and then glanced down to the brunette on the floor. "Gabriella and I were just catching up."

Ice blue found chocolate brown as his eyes locked with hers.

— **Ge— Get — must get — out— leave— here— me here — **Her voice in his head was broken up and sounded like static.

He shook his head. "I'm not going to leave you." He said out loud, finding her bruised and bloodied face. "I promised I would never leave you."

Bruce let out an amused laugh and Gabriella closed her eyes and shook her head in defeat. The older werewolf motioned with his hand and Landon pulled out a small camera from his pocket. "Now that we've got that done with, it's down to business."

Troy's eyes grew small when he saw the little read light on the camera turn on. "What kind of business would that be, Bruce?"

"It's noting too hard, Troy boy." Bruce walked forward and hauled Gabriella to her feet. "It's actually really simple and easy if you cooperate." He wrapped an arm around Gabriella's neck and his other went to his pocket, pulling out a small knife.

"I'll cooperate." Troy's voice was low and compromising, his hands raised in surrender. "Just tell me what you want me to do."

"It's very simple, Troy. I just want you to shift."

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**


	20. The Beginning of the End

_LAST TIME-_

_Troy's eyes grew small when he saw the little red light on the camera turn on. "What kind of business would that be, Bruce?"_

"_It's noting too hard, Troy boy." Bruce walked forward and hauled Gabriella to her feet. "It's actually really simple and easy if you cooperate." He wrapped an arm around Gabriella's neck and his other went to his pocket, pulling out a small knife._

"_I'll cooperate." Troy's voice was low and compromising, his hands raised in surrender. "Just tell me what you want me to do."_

"_It's very simple, Troy. All I want you to do is shift."_

* * *

"What is he talking about?" Sharpay turned towards Reid. "Did I just hear the word 'Werewolf' come out of Troy Bolton's mouth?"

"I'm gonna kill him," Reid growled. "If Bruce doesn't, I will."

"Why is Landon's dad here?" Taylor asked with a hint of fear in her voice. Then a dawning realization flashed in her eyes. "Is he what I think he is?"

Rhyan nodded her head glumly.

"What are you guys talking about?!" Sharpay roared. She grabbed the collar of Reid shirt and pulled him inched from her face. "You will tell me what the hell is going on right now, or so—!"

"Or what?" Reid asked cutting her off. "Sharpay. Stand up and walk away. Right now. No one is covering the back of the school. Everyone's right here. Forget what you've heard, what you've seen and just walk away."

Sharpay stared dumbly at Reid and then glanced to Rhyan. The twin's expression matched that of her brothers. "You can't be serious? You expect me to just leave?"

"There's still time, Sharpay," it was Taylor's turn to try and convince the blond. "You can get out of here. You can go home before any of this gets too out of hand."

"No." She said sharply. "I'm not leaving them."

Taylor almost smiled at the loyalty flowing out of Sharpay mouth towards Gabriella and Troy. But this was no time to be heroic. Taylor knew things were going to get bad — Fast. "You need to leave." She said firmly.

Sharpay didn't flinch. "I'm staying."

Taylor let an aggravated sigh escape from between her teeth. She turned to Reid and Rhyan, the two Walker's glancing at each other with eyes that held a silent conversation. A minute passed before Reid shrugged forcefully and Rhyan turned to Sharpay.

"Last chance." Rhyan stated firmly.

"I'm not leaving." Sharpay repeated.

"Then we hold no responsibility for what you are about to see." Rhyan ordered. "You will not tell anyone about the events that are about to take place, nor are you allowed to even speak about them after this day. Are we clear?"

Sharpay's eyes scrunched together but she nodded her head anyway. "Crystal."

Before Sharpay could ask anything, Reid let a low growl pass from between his teeth and Rhyan straightened, her fists clenched at her sides instantly.

"What's wrong?" Taylor asked quickly, glancing around the corner. She saw that Gabriella was on her feet, but Bruce was behind her, one of his massive arms wrapped around her throat. He was brandishing something small and shiny in his other hand. A knife, Taylor knew from the way the light from the lights danced off its blade.

"Bruce just asked Troy to change." Reid snarled.

"Change?' Sharpay asked dumbly. "Is that bad?"

"Yes, Sharpay," Taylor answered. There was something in the dark skinned girls' voice that made cold fear crawl its way up Sharpay's spine. "That's _very_ bad."

**-XxX-**

Troy's eyes went swiftly to the camera in Landon's hand and then to Gabriella. He had never seen her chocolate eyes so big in his life, but he knew the message she was sending him. _Don't do it._

"What are you talking about?" He denied. "Change? Change into what?"

Bruce gave an aggravated sigh, his patience wearing thin. "I don't think you understand the severity of the situation you're in Mr. Bolton." He tightened his grip around Gabriella's throat, lifting her off the ground like she weighed nothing. Her hands automatically went to his arm, trying in vain to pull it away so she could breathe.

"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Troy yelled, holding up his hands. It was only when Bruce put Gabriella back on the ground that he continued. "I'll do it. I know what you want. I'll change. Just let her go."

"Let her go?" Landon laughed from behind his father. "We've waited twelve years for this moment."

"I am not going to let her go, Troy." Bruce said evenly, smiling. "But I will let you witness her last moments on this planet."

Troy automatically dropped down into a crouch, his fists balling at his sides. "Don't even think about it." He snarled.

Bruce ignored his comment and continued. "I'm still waiting, Troy. Or was I wrong to think that you actually wanted to save her?"

There was a split second of hesitation; a split second where Troy had no idea what to do. If he charged, then Gabriella would be killed, he knew that for certain. If he changed when Landon had the camera on, he would expose the entire Walker race and then most likely still be killed. He didn't like his options. "Okay, okay. Put the knife away and then I'll change."

"Mr. Bolton!" Bruce roared, eyes angry. "Stop stalling! I will kill her right here and now if you do not change!" The small knife was raised just over Gabriella's heart, the tip barley touching the fabric of her t-shirt. A moment passed as Troy's eyes went wide. He was frozen, torn in two different directions. "I'm waiting!" The older werewolf's patience was wearing thin. He pressed the knife to Gabriella's chest, the tip vanishing beneath her skin.

Troy took a step forward automatically when Gabriella whimpered. "Don't do it, Troy!" She gasped out, clutching at Bruce's wrist that held the knife. "Don't do it!"

Bruce shook her like a rag doll, the blade sliding deeper into her skin. She let out a choked sob but slammed her heal down on his foot. Bruce snarled at her and threw her to the ground, the knife ripping from her chest. She laid there, collecting her lost breath and holding her hands over the shallow gash on her chest.

Bruce collected himself, brushing off his coat and then turned to his son. "Pick her up."

Landon shoved the camera into another of the werewolf's hands and wrenched Gabriella's arms behind her back, dragging her to her feet. In one swift motion, Bruce pulled out a handgun; concealed somewhere Troy wouldn't have even known to look. "You have five seconds, Mr. Bolton," he pressed the barrel of the gun to Gabriella's forehead, "or you witness the death of Gabriella Montez."

**-XxX-**

"We have to do something!" Sharpay hissed through a whisper, fighting against both Taylor's and Rhyan's hold on her. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

"We can't just run in there." Rhyan snapped, ducking under one of the blonds flailing fists. "That will most definitely get them killed."

"We have to wait for Troy to make a move." Reid said through clenched teeth, his eyes never leaving Bruce's handgun. "As soon as Troy moves, we can help him."

"But we have to do something!" Sharpay said in a low roar, fighting harder.

"Getting killed will not help them, Sharpay!" Taylor snapped, tears in her voice. "I know how hard it is to watch this, but please, you have to wait."

Sharpay stopped struggling and sighed. She ran her hands frantically over her face, composing herself before peeking around the corner. "What are we waiting for, then?"

"A miracle," Rhyan said flatly.

**-XxX-**

Troy's palms were sweating. He looked one last time to Gabriella, her eyes still telling him not to do it, but he shook his head.

"Troy, plea — "

"Gabriella, stop." He cut her off in a crushed tone. "Just, please, stop." She sagged in defeat and he relaxed his body, taking a deep breath.

"Tick tock," Bruce said flatly and troy heard the cock of the gun. But before Troy could say anything, or even react, Blaine stepped forward.

"What are you doing, Bruce?" he asked in a stern voice.

Bruce turned towards the traitor. "What are you talking about?"

"You wanted Alex," Blaine stated flatly. "There was nothing in our agreement that said anything about killing his daughter."

"You having second thoughts Walker," Landon mocked, and then his eyes turned dark. "Or are your feelings getting in the way?"

"Feelings?" Blaine spat. "For her? I gave up on her family the moment her father killed mine. I have no feelings for her, or the boy for that matter."

"Then why do you want to save her?"

"I don't." Blaine shrugged, but he caught Troy's eyes for the briefest of moments, nodding his head only slightly. "I just think it would be an unnecessary risk to kill them in broad daylight in a school with kids still inside. Too much to clean up, in my opinion."

"You're a bastard." Troy snapped.

Blaine jerked his head back, but took a step towards Troy, closer to Landon and Gabriella. "What did you call me?"

"I said, you're a bastard," Troy repeated through clenched teeth. "Double crossing. Backstabbing. Deceitful. Betraying. Bastard!"

"You better watch that mouth, Troy." Blaine took another step forward, right next to Landon. "It might get you in trouble one day."

"How about right now?" Troy asked in a mocking tone.

Blaine let a smile slip across his face. He nodded. "Now."

It was pure chaos after that.

Troy shifted, his teeth flashing past Gabriella's shoulder and sunk into Landon's shoulder. He screamed in surprised and dropped Gabriella, who shifted and bit him on the ankle. Blaine turned to face Bruce, the older werewolf's eyes wide. "You will not hurt Gabriella."

"Feelings for another is a weakness, Walker," Bruce sneered, his shoulders flexing, "a weakness that will be your downfall."

"As long as you don't lay a finger on her," Blaine let a feral grin spread across his face, "I'm fine with that." He shifted, brown fur crawling over smooth skin. He bared his teeth at the werewolf in front of him right before he lunged.

Troy dug his teeth harder into Landon's shoulder, using ever bit of anger and force he could muster. He felt resistance from bone but ignored it. He would make Landon pay. But the flash of black to his right caught his attention, and he found himself staring down the barrel of a handgun. The werewolf on the other end smiled, his finger pressing down on the trigger.

Troy's vision was invaded by red as Reid jumped over him, digging his teeth into the gunman's arm. They both went down.

Troy was ripped from Landon's shoulder by a firm kick to his stomach. He rolled away but jumped quickly to his feet, dipping his head and baring his long canines. Gabriella was ripped away from Landon as well, slower to get back to her feet. She staggered a little, shaking her head from side to side to clear the sharp white from her vision. Two werewolves stood in front of her and Troy, guns already out. Before anyone could react, Rhyan snarled passed, sinking her teeth into the ankle of one, when he fell, she turned to the forearm of the other.

**Are you okay?** Gabriella felt a nudge on the side of her face, Troy's nose cold against her hot fur.

**I think so**. She said slowly, and then added. **My chest hurts a little.**

**Let me see**. Troy dropped his head under Gabriella's neck and let out a low growl. **It's bleeding Gabby**.

**Bad? **She panted.

**I need to get you out of here**. Troy avoided the answer and whipped his head around. **Blaine's keeping Bruce busy. We can get out.**

**Not for long.** Gabriella answered. **You feel that? Bruce is about to change.**

Troy did feel it. A power that crawled up his spine, making his shoulders shiver and a low growl emerge for his chest. His ears automatically perked up when a familiar voice called his name, and he turned to see Taylor hiding around the corner at the end of the hallway. He could watch the words 'this way' form on her mouth and he turned to Gabriella. She had lain down, her chin resting on her front paws. She was panting and her tongue was hanging lopsided out of her mouth.

**Come on, baby**. He stuck his nose under her stomach and lifted her up. **We have to get to Taylor**.

**She's here?** Gabriella whimpered as she got to her feet, her white coat around her chest turning a light red. But the news of her best friend close by gave her strength, and they retreated around the corner.

Taylor hugged the white wolf for all she was worth, only letting go when Gabriella whimpered lightly. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Taylor apologized. The dark skinned girl could feel Sharpay shrink back at the sight of the two wolves.

"Don't be afraid." Taylor said encouragingly.

Sharpay didn't answer; she only shrunk back more when Troy approached her. He plopped down right in front of her, tilting his head to the side and stared into her eyes. Sharpay scrunched her eyes together and then looked passed Troy to Taylor, who had Gabriella in her arms. "What is this?"

"What do you mean?" Taylor asked innocently. "You know who he is."

Sharpay snapped her mouth shut and turned back to Troy. "Bolton?" He whined and she let out a gasp, her hand flying over her mouth. "Impossible." Sharpay tore her eyes away from Troy and stared at the white wolf in Taylor's arms. "And that's?"

"Yeah." Taylor sighed, ripping her long sleeve shirt into a thin strip. She wrapped it around Gabriella's chest, tying it tight. "But you would think she would take better care of herself." Gabriella snapped her teeth and Taylor hit her lightly on the head. "Stop that. You know I'm right."

One minute, the white wolf was there and the next, Gabriella was sitting in its place. "Really Taylor," she pressed down on the cloth around her chest, "I'm fine."

"I had to slow down the bleeding, Gabriella." Taylor sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I'm good now. So can we go back and help Reid and Rhyan?" Gabriella got to her feet, holding one hand against the wall to steady herself.

**You are not going back in there.** Troy's voice snapped in her head. She glared down to the black wolf, the next moment; Troy was standing in front of her. "They can take care of themselves."

"They're my family, Troy." She locked eyes with his. "They didn't leave _us_. I'm not leaving _them_."

And that was when they heard the gunshots.

**-XxX-**

Alexander Montez was pacing quickly behind the yellow police tape. Every so often, his eyes would travel up the brick walls of East High, and he would snarl to himself. The building was a death trap, one that was currently holding his daughter. If he wanted anything in the world, anything in that moment, it was to be inside the walls of East High.

A hand found his shoulder and he turned to see Victor Mathis standing behind him. His friend and fellow Walker was dressed in a slim black suite, a small, shiny police badge clipped on his front pocket. Alex didn't wait for familiarities. "_Let me in there_." He snarled in a low voice.

Victor shook his head sadly. "I can't let you in, Alex."

"_What do you mean you can't let me in?_" Alex yelled. The normally composed Alpha glared ferociously up at Victor, his entire face growing red. He seemed undeterred by the fact that the captain was a well known friend. "My _daughter_ is in there and you can't do anything about it?"

"Alex," Victor said as evenly as he could. His eyes flickered across to the windows of East High and he almost thought he saw a figure watching them from behind the glass. "You need to step back."

"I don't think you understand, _Victor_," Alex spat out furiously. "I am your Alpha and God help me, you will listen to me and get my daughter out of there! What I _want_ is as simple as a new pair of sneakers," Alex fumed, his hazel eyes swirling with anger. "What I _want_ is my daughter out of there alive!"

"Look. My job is to secure _everyone's_ safety, Alex, and that is what I intend to do." Victor locked eyes with Alex, a firm hand resting on the Alpha's shoulder. "If you want Gabriella to get out alive, you have to let me do my _job_. Otherwise," he shrugged and turned his eyes back to the school, "we leave her in there, wait for the gunfire to die down, and send in the paramedics."

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

**Author's Note: **I know, I know. But the good news is that I'm in college now! The bad news is that I think this might be my last story for a while. I need to get all my stuff in order and that amounts to zero time writing. But I'll be back, sometime. Always, Review!! Please, please, review! I really love them, really I do!


	21. Those You'd Die For

_LAST TIME-_

"_I don't think you understand, Victor," Alex spat out furiously. "I am your Alpha and God help me, you will listen to me and get my daughter out of there! What I want is as simple as a new pair of sneakers," Alex fumed, his hazel eyes swirling with anger. "What I want is my daughter out of there alive!"_

"_Look. My job is to secure everyone's safety, Alex, and that is what I intend to do." Victor locked eyes with Alex, a firm hand resting on the Alpha's shoulder. "If you want Gabriella to get out alive, you have to let me do my job. Otherwise," he shrugged and turned his eyes back to the school, "we leave her in there, wait for the gunfire to die down, and send in the paramedics."_

**

* * *

**If someone had told Troy Bolton that he was about to experience the worst day of his life, odds are he would've smiled slightly and disagreed.

But the sound of gunfire brought him to the startling realization that he _was_ having the worst day of his life. If that wasn't enough conformation, the bloodcurdling scream from Gabriella was.

"_RHYAN!_" the raven-haired girl yelled desperately, her eyes finding the still form of her cousin on the floor. Reid was growling and curses flew from his mouth in at least three different languages.

"Shut up wolf." Landon snarled, leveling a gun to his forehead. "She's not dead."

A burly werewolf behind the small group nudged Rhyan's stomach, making her groan and roll over. One of her hands was clasped painfully tight over the small bullet hole in her shoulder, her eyes closed in silent agony.

Landon gave a mocking smile. "See."

Reid let out a body freezing growl, crouching, but the werewolves behind him tightened their hold on his arms, wrenching them backwards up his back. He still tried to get free, Troy could see his shoulders flexing, the muscles in his arms growing with effort. But the force on the joints of his shoulders was too much and with a sickening 'pop' both dislocated out of their sockets.

He was let go almost instantly, disgust and horror plastered on both faces of the werewolf's that had held him. Reid was out before he hit the floor, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. The small group of werewolves paused for a moment, silence passing before they turned to Bruce and Blaine, soft murmurs circulating.

The two were circling each other. Blaine eyes were dark, but sharp, ready for anything. His face was blank and Gabriella knew that he was in trouble. Bruce on the other hand, was enjoying every minute of his little standoff with the traitorous Walker.

"You know Blaine," he started, his teeth growing longer and sharper every second. "It's been five years since I've changed. I _really_ hope you're up to it."

Blaine stayed silent, serious.

"Oh, come on, Blaine," Bruce's shoulders were doubling, his shirt ripping across the back. "Don't you want to have some fun before you die?" The last part was a snarl through the long mussel that had formed where his mouth had been. Bruce stretched his arms out wide, joints cracking, before he stood up to his full height. The Alpha's ears skimmed the ceiling, his body taking up more than half the space in the wide hallway.

Blaine swore under his breath and took a step back. His green eyes flashed to Gabriella, panicked that she was still there and he mouthed the word 'go.'

Bruce struck forward when Blaine was preoccupied with Gabriella, but he wasn't fast enough. Blaine shifted at the last second, dropping to all fours and racing forward, sinking his teeth into Bruce's leg.

"You cannot protect two things at the same time, Blaine." Bruce let a feral grin spread across his face. "If you don't make a decision, you will lose both your life and Gabriella."

If someone had told Troy Bolton that he was about to experience the worst day of his life, odds are he would've smiled slightly and disagreed.

If someone had told him he was living his last day on earth, he would've laughed at such an outlandish thought.

But when Bruce ripped Blaine away from his leg with as much effort as it took to walk, Troy knew that things were going to go downhill, fast.

Blaine regained his footing and with a howl, launched himself back towards the werewolf. Bruce caught him around the throat and threw him at the closest wall. Gabriella turned her head to the side when she heard the sickening crack of Blaine's body slamming against the concrete.

Blaine shifted as he slid down, his concentration gone because he was unconscious and a blood trail followed his limp body. Bruce stepped forward, nudging the unconscious Walker with his massive foot. Satisfied that he was down for the count, the werewolf turned and surveyed his handiwork. His eyes flashed to both Rhyan and Reid. "Both Murdock's taken care of and now even the famous Blaine O'Connell," he laughed the name," is done for. I'm telling you, this Walker race is getting weaker by the generation." The group of werewolves around their Alpha snickered.

Gabriella clenched her teeth at the insult.

"That only leaves," Bruce turned slowly, dramatically, and faced the small group of teens at the end of the hall. "Gabriella Montez." His face then turned serious, dangerous as he spoke the next words, "I will not let you escape again." He crouched suddenly, ready to leap forward.

Troy grabbed Gabriella's elbow and yanked her to her feet. He wasn't thinking about anyone else but her when he started running. Taylor, Chad, Sharpay, all his friends were forgotten because Bruce wasn't coming after them, he wanted Gabriella, and Troy would be dammed if he was going to let that filthy werewolf get his hands on _his_ girlfriend. "We need to get out of here!" He roared. "C'mon!"

They sprinted down the hallway, feet sliding on the linoleum floor. "This way!" Gabriella shouted, pulling Troy at the right angle down a back hallway. They ran, hand in hand, trying to escape.

"Where are we going?" Troy yelled, and he risked a glance behind them. Fear shot through his veins and his pace picked up. "Faster!" he yelled desperately. Bruce was right on their heels. He was three paces from the exit door when Gabriella ripped his to the side, down another hallway.

"What are you doing?" He yelled in annoyance.

"I'm not running away from this." She growled under her breath.

He mentally yelled at her stubbornness. "What are you talking about? You can't beat him, Gabriella! Did you see what he did to Blaine? You can't win!"

She didn't answer, but her eyes were searching frantically around their surroundings. Her grip tightened around his hand for a second and he finally realized what she was doing. "You don't intend to win, do you?"

She gave him a soft smile. "This is all my fault." She said through sharp intakes of breath. "The least I can do is save the rest of my family the trouble of having to deal with him."

He locked his jaw and glared at her, anger surging through him. How could she be so goddamn stubborn at a time like this? Why wasn't she thinking about _him_? For the first time in his life, he wanted Gabriella Montez to be selfish and think about herself. How did she think he would live without her? Choosing death was a selfish option.

"Be selfish." He pleaded. "For once in your life, Gabriella Montez, please, be selfish and think about yourself."

She stopped running and turned to him. Seeing his anguished look made tears come to her eyes. Walking forward, one of her hands found his cheek. "Being selfish isn't who I am, Wildcat. You of all people should know that."

He grabbed the wrist of the hand that cupped his cheek. "But it's not fair." His voice came out strained, raw, and he mentally swore to himself not to cry.

She laughed through her tears. "When has it been fair? Especially for us?"

He tried to change the subject because if they got to a goodbye, his heart would break. "What's your plan?"

She looked at him, wiping the corners of her eyes. "Get him up into the science rooms, turn on all the gas valves and then—"

"—Boom." Troy finished for her and she nodded grimly. He glanced over his should, but Blaine wasn't there. He stopped instantly. "Where did he go?"

Gabriella looked surprised. "I don't know." She sniffed the air. "It still smells like he's following us."

The hairs on the back of Troy's neck stood on end, and he was caught in the sinking realization of the moment. Gabriella felt it to and she pushed Troy away from her, the two teens going to the linoleum as the ceiling above their heads burst open. Bruce Fury dropped down from the second story and instantly went into action, flying towards Gabriella.

Troy slammed into his stomach, and they both went down in a ball of fur. Troy jumped to his feet and bared his teeth at the older werewolf, who took his time in getting up. "Mr. Bolton," his voice was dangerously level, "I do not want to kill you. I am only here for the girl. Get out of my way and I will not hurt you."

Troy tilted his head at the older man and shifted. His electric blue eyes met black as he stared down the werewolf. "You do realize what you're asking me to do, Bruce."

Bruce relaxed a little. "I know how you were dragged into this against your will, Troy. You will have to live with your decision for the rest of your life, however short or long, that's your decision."

Troy took a quick glance behind him to Gabriella. _**Get up to one of the science rooms; I'll hold him off for as long as you need.**_

_**No.**_ She shook her head.

_**Damnit Gabriella!**_ His fist clenched at his sides. _**Let me do this for you!**_ She shook her head again. _**I've always been used against you, please, let me do this.**_

_**I love you, Wildcat**_. She locked her jaw and blinked her eyes to get rid of the tears. _**Don't you dare die on me, Troy.**_

_**I wouldn't dream of leaving you, Gabriella.**_ He gave her a small smile and then turned back to Bruce.

"You've decided then, Troy?" Bruce's eyes flashed only slightly when Gabriella shifted and ran down the hall. "Be careful. I don't, necessarily, want to do this."

"There are those I'd live for." Troy said, turning his full attention to the werewolf. "Those I'd kill for." He crouched slightly, his eyes turning sharp. "And those I would _die_ for."

A disgusted look crossed Bruce's face. "If you want to throw your life away for _her_," he said the word like it was poison on his tongue, "then so be it." His massive shoulders moved in a shrug. "Just another casualty in this senseless war."

Troy evaluated his opponent. Bruce was lax, he was underestimating Troy. The older werewolf figured sheer power would be enough to outdo a young Walker. The blue-eyed teen had to admit that he had no idea how to fight, but there was a strong sense of self preservation crawling up his spin. His body, mixed with the Walker's power, would know how to defend itself.

Troy waited for his moment.

In an instant, Bruce was all over him, cussing in a blend of Italian and old Latin. His right arm snaked around Troy's throat. He was interrupted when Troy jammed his right thumb straight back into his mouth. The older man was too dumbfounded even to try to bite. Then the opportunity was gone as Troy's thumb started stretching out his right cheek.

Wishing that he had long nails for the first time in his life, Troy dug his fingers into Bruce's fury face with all his strength. The old man howled in agony. Then Troy put his hip into Bruce's legs just below the hip and threw him over his shoulder.

He went forward, perusing the dazed werewolf, and landed a strong kick to his stomach. He then shifted, eyes growing sharper and skin sprouting black fur. Troy opened his mouth and without hesitating, bit down on Bruce Fury's neck.

In the next moment, Bruce let a harrowing scream. Troy cursed his ears because the instant the note left Bruce's lips, the blue-eyed wolf's ears were ringing. His head split in two and his teeth slackened from the neck of his opponent.

Bruce thrashed from side to side on the ground, his massive hands grabbing Troy around the stomach. He was ripped away with such power that the breath left his lungs. The claws around his stomach kept tightening and Bruce held Troy at eye level.

"Now that," the alpha werewolf's eyes were like black pits of hell and they drilled a hole into Troy's heart, "was not a very nice thing to do."

Troy's eyes went wide, the strongest fear he had ever felt ran up his spin, seeping into his bones. Bruce let a sinister smile cross his face. "I really didn't want to hurt you."

"Am I really supposed to believe that?" Troy growled, his voice shaking more than he would have liked. "You've killed people and you're _smiling_."

"Troy Bolton, you cannot spell slaughter without laughter," the werewolf's voice gurgled slightly from his bitten throat, but Troy could tell it was already starting to heal.

"You're a monster." Troy spat in his face.

Bruce's expression dropped instantly. "I really wished you hadn't had said that."

Before he knew it, Troy was flying through the air. His back hit something sold, but the solid object didn't stay solid for long. The force of his flight smashed right through it, and splintered wood rained down.

Troy couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. His head was pounding and anything that he could see through his barreled vision was blurred. He tried to move his hand, but only the tips of his fingers responded. He tried to take a breath, this time succeeding in drawing in a small amount of air. It wasn't enough and his greedy lungs ached for more. He began to cough, anything to get his lungs to work.

A hazy figure appeared at the corners of his vision, and his slow mind instantly recognized Bruce. His subconscious snapped into focus and his eyes hardened into a glare. Troy lifted his head to say something but only a groan escaped.

Bruce crouched at the entrance of the broken doorway. "I'm sorry I can't stay and play some more, but I have to go torture and kill your girlfriend." The werewolf showed his fangs with a smile and then was gone.

Troy's chest burned, but the realization that the monster was going after Gabriella was enough to get his voice to work. "**NO**!" he got to his hands and knees and crawled out of the classroom he had been thrown into. "**NO**!" he roared again as Bruce paused at the end of the hallway.

"It's really a shame you didn't get to say goodbye."Bruce smiled.

"If you touch her." Troy threatened through ragged breaths.

The older werewolf's eyes brightened. "Race you there." He took a step and then was gone around the corner.

Troy straightened as best he could, swore, and staggered after him.

**-XxX-**

There was an urgency running through like she had never felt before. Everything was too slow for her liking. When she turned the last gas valve on, the metal seemed to twist just a little too slow. The only thing that didn't seem to be moving in slow motion was her heart. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the rabbit like beating of her heart. She had to get control of herself if she was really going to take on Bruce.

With one last look around the familiar science room, so many memories flying through her head, she exited—right into the chest of Bruce Fury. He acted before she could and she was pushed back into the science room.

He took one step into the classroom and paused, tilting his head. "Gas?" he said in a mocking tone. "You do realize that I could tell right where you where with this little stunt."

She didn't answer and shifted, trying to get away. His massive hand found her tail and he yanked her backwards. A surprised yelp escaped her mouth as pain shot up her butt and spine. The force of his tug sent her backwards and she smashed into the white brick wall on the right side of the room.

She shook her head from side to side and got to her feet. The werewolf was nest to her in seconds, and something solid found her stomach, making her breath escape from her lungs.

"I am not going to kill you quickly, Gabriella Montez," the palm of one of his hands latched onto the top of her head and she was lifted off the floor. "You have been such a pain in my ass that I am going to show you that you cannot run away anymore." He gave her a crooked smile and she snapped at his face, just barely missing his nose.

He continued without noticing her small rebellion, speaking as if he was having a normal conversation. "I'll break your legs." He shook her with such force that her body shifted by itself, and her fist punched out at his face. He tilted his head to the side and let it pass without concern, countering with a fist of his own. Another blow to her stomach and her had spun.

He dropped her to the ground where she struggled to stay on all fours. She waited for his to relax and jumped into action. She kicked out at his stomach, but he blocked and backpedaled. She followed his retreat and lashed out with a high kicked aimed for the side of his face. He leant backwards and she caught a violent motion in her peripheral vision.

She dropped her head desperately, feeling Bruce's fist pass just over her head. On her heals, she pushed forward, letting her momentum carry her into Bruce and slammed him with shoulder and hip. It knocked him sprawling, not off his feet but staggering drunkenly into one of the garnet chemistry tables.

More by instinct than anything else, Gabriella ducked sideways as Bruce threw a small glass graduated cylinder at her head. He charged and she kicked straight back with her left foot, felt her heel connect with the muscle of his chest, heard the sound of expelled breath.

Her training and experience were sufficient that her body could fight by itself; she blocked and struck without conscious intent. Indeed she had to in a swirling fight with Bruce fury. Her mind raced, trying to spin out a plan. Because no one was skilled enough to survive long against these odds.

"I thought you mentioned something about killing me, Bruce?" She couldn't help at the cocky smile that crossed her face.

"I did." For some reason, the insult she had thrown at him made him smile. Her eyes narrowed when he continued. "I said I would not kill you quickly. Which is more than I can say about your boyfriend."

At the mention of troy, her Blood boiled. "**Liar**!" She launched herself forward. "Troy is not dead!"

Bruce sidestepped her and sent out a fist towards her face. "I couldn't tell when I last left him, but he wasn't moving."

"Shut up!" Her right foot moved on its own accord, flying towards Bruce's middle. Through her anger, she felt his hands catch her ankle, and iron grip crushing her bones.

With a jerk, the werewolf pulled her forward, inched form his body. "It's a shame you didn't get to say goodbye." Bruce's grip around her ankle tightened and he twisted. Gabriella heard a small 'pop' and pain like she had never felt before laced up her leg "Whether Troy is dead, I'm not certain. But, there is one thing that I do know, _your_ time is up."

With the cost of her balance and out of sheer desperation to get away, Gabriella threw her left leg in between the werewolf's legs, feeling her back crashed onto the cold and unforgiving floor of linoleum. He let go of her throbbing ankle and she rolled backwards and to her feet. In one swift motion, she jumped on his bent back—because Bruce was too occupied with the pain shooting through his groin to notice, let alone care about her movements—and jumped towards the exit of the room.

She landed hard and tears instantly came to the corner of her eyes when her right ankle shifted. She screamed in pain but forced her body to move. She limped to the doorway and froze.

In that instant, chocolate eyes met electric blue.

Troy stared at her and she stared back, not believing that he was really at the end of the hallway. Both teens smiled at the same time and Gabriella took and half step towards her boyfriend.

She watched, as if she were in a dream, as the smile of joy slipped off of troy's face and his eyes grew wide in horror.

"You _bitch_!" She turned to see Bruce Fury, his right arm raised with a small black handgun leveled at her. "You are _not_ getting away this time." His finger cocked the gun and her mind snapped instantly to the smell of gas that had filled the chemistry room.

"What are you—" She didn't get to finish her sentence. Troy's voice broke through her foggy mind and she turned just in time to see him start running towards him.

A dark laugh filled her ears and something small and sharp sank into her back from behind.

Her vision turned four colors one after the other.

White.

Red.

Grey.

Black.

**-XxX-**

If someone had told Troy Bolton that he was about to experience the worst day of his life, odds are he would've smiled slightly and disagreed.

If someone had told him he was living his last day on earth, he would've laughed at such an outlandish thought.

If someone had told him he was going to watch Gabriella Montez die before sunset, he would've taken offence. He would've said, "I'd never let anything happen to her." Then he would've stormed off to find her, determined to prove she was safe and sound and was going to stay that way.

It was nice to ponder what he would've done, wonder the "what ifs", secretly wishing things had turned out differently. Yet they hadn't. What's done cannot be undone. Tragedies cannot be rewritten into fairytales where everyone lives happily ever after. Troy knew this.

Feeling the rush of musky filled air fly at him from the collapsed science room, the fire and flame forgotten, the image of Gabriella's body in the doorway only seconds before the explosion, the sound of the gunshot, he knew. Feeling the fear crawl up his spine, the desperation setting into his lungs and breaking heart, he knew. Hearing the creaking drywall above his head, the force from the explosion in the science room making the roofing above him weak, he knew. Hearing Taylor and Sharpay calling his name, Chad screaming at him to move, he knew. The shocked and fearful expressions, _oh God_, he knew.

Troy took one step forward before something heavy slammed onto his shoulders, sending him to his knees, his vision blurred, his mind and body going numb. Falling pieces of the ceiling came closer. Suddenly, it all became silent. Troy couldn't hear his friend's panicked voices anymore. He was pushed harder into the linoleum as more drywall and concrete fell on him, and he gave up trying to move because he knew it was futile. Everything was futile. He hated it. Tears gathered at the corners of his closed eyes, not from pain, but at the realization; _he knew_. Somewhere deep inside, he'd known all along.

That once he fought fate, he was destined to lose everything.

**.-.-.- Insert Dramatic Music -.-.-.**

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**Author's Note: **Okay, I don't even think an I'm sorry covers it. You guys deserve so much more for staying with this story. So, I'm going to say I'm sorry xinfinity and hope to God that this never happens again. I think I've gotten over my huge writers block and can finally finish this story. I think Dreamwalker will be my last story because I don't think that it's fair for me to have stories and have these long updating gaps. So review, please, and I'm sorry again.

Also, if anyone would love to make a cool banner for this story and any artwork regarding it, that would make me insanely happy!


	22. Redemption

**Author's Note**: This chapter is completely and irrevocably dedicated to Amalta who politely reminded me that I needed to update. So, thank you for getting me to finally write this chapter! It's been forever and I'm sorry. Truly sorry! Just remember to leave me some love (or hate) lol. Review! Review! (It's late, or is it early? I don't know, but please forgive me for any spelling/grammatical errors. My eyes have been trained on this screen for hours and I'm starting to see double)

In other news, this story is winding down and then all I have left is Dreamwalker. So, once I finish this one up, head over to Dreamwalker because you all deserve another good (or mostly good) story.

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_LAST TIME-_

_Feeling the rush of musky filled air fly at him from the collapsed science room, the fire and flame forgotten, the image of Gabriella's body in the doorway only seconds before the explosion, the sound of the gunshot, he knew. Feeling the fear crawl up his spine, the desperation setting into his lungs and breaking heart, he knew. Hearing the creaking drywall above his head, the force from the explosion in the science room making the roofing above him weak, he knew. Hearing Taylor and Sharpay calling his name, Chad screaming at him to move, he knew. The shocked and fearful expressions, __oh God__, he knew._

_Troy took one step forward before something heavy slammed onto his shoulders, sending him to his knees, his vision blurred, his mind and body going numb. Falling pieces of the ceiling came closer. Suddenly, it all became silent. Troy couldn't hear his friend's panicked voices anymore. He was pushed harder into the linoleum as more drywall and concrete fell on him, and he gave up trying to move because he knew it was futile. Everything was futile. He hated it. Tears gathered at the corners of his closed eyes, not from pain, but at the realization; __he knew__. Somewhere deep inside, he'd known all along._

_That once he fought fate, he was destined to lose everything._

**-XxX-**

Muffled voices brought him to reality. He opened his eyes, blinking. It was dark, pitch black and he blinked again. The voice sounded once more, closer this time, and the broken drywall above his head shifted. Dust rained down over his head and he sneezed. He tried to move, but a support beam was lying across his shoulders. It was a difficult task in itself to breathe.

"…_troy_!.."

He heard his name this time and the debris a few feet from his face shifted. Trying to move again, he came to the surprising conclusion that nothing was broken. Heavily bruised, but not broken. That was good. He grunted and forced his palms underneath his chest. In one strong motion he tried to push up. The wreckage above him groaned a complaint, but it was too heavy for just him to move. With a roar of aggravation he collapsed back towards the floor.

"Troy!?" Dust rained down on him again, this time a small beam of light cutting through the darkness. "Thank God! Troy!" dark curly hair caught his eye and then was gone. "Over here! Reid, I found him!"

"Chad!" Troy called, finding his voice. "Chad, get this shit off of me!"

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" There was a grunt and then more light filtered in. Soon Troy could see Chad's whole face and Reid peeking his head overtop the curly hair.

"You alright?" The blond called as he hauled a rather large chunk of ceiling off of the pile.

Troy placed his hands beneath him again and pushed up. The pile shifted more this time and he was able to get to his feet, the metal and drywall crashing to the floor. "Now I am." He took a deep breath and looked around.

Devastation surrounded him.

The blast from the chemistry room had blow a decent chunk out of the school roof and outer walls. The floor under him was still stable, but the floor in front of the room was gone. Small fires burned around him, the crackling and snapping making him edgy. They had to get out. The floor was groaning every couple of seconds. It wouldn't hold for long.

He turned to Reid and Chad. "Where is she?"

The look on Reid's face wasn't in the least bit comforting. Troy cursed and spun around, cupping his hands over his mouth. "Gabriella! _Gabriella_?"

"She's not answering!" Rhyan yelled from behind a pile of drywall and concrete. Her right arm was tied across her chest with some kind of fabric, a small circle of blood soaking through at her shoulder. "We can't find her."

Troy clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. Trying to block everything that was going on around him was difficult, but he finally managed to withdrawal himself into his mind. **Gabriella! Baby, can you hear me?**

He didn't hear anything at first, but then, like a voice muffled by a closed door, he heard her. The groan was distant, echoing in his head, but it was her.

**God. **He smiled at the sound of her voice. **My head.**

**Are you alright? **He questioned, looking around.

He heard her growl slightly, then a grunt. Finally she answered him, her voice annoyed. **That depends**. She paused and then groaned again. **I can't move, I can't see, it's dark as hell and my back is killing me. Whether I'm alright is up for interpretation.**

**Do you know where you are?** Troy asked again.

**No**. She answered flatly. **I dove behind the wall when that dumbass of a werewolf fired the gun. I felt the floor collapse and then nothing until now.**

**You fell?** Troy walked towards the classroom that Bruce Fury had occupied. It now was a smoldering space of nothing, the floor blown out from the explosion. The blue eyed teen inched his way closer to the edge and peered down to the first floor of East High.

**Yes.**

"She's down there." Troy called back to his friends. Reid was first, followed by Rhyan and then Chad, Taylor, and Sharpay.

"How did she get down there?" Sharpay asked, glancing over the edge and deciding she was too close, backpedaling slightly.

"She dove behind the wall when Bruce fired, but the floor collapsed because of the explosion." Troy explained.

"And how do you know that?" Chad asked, surprised.

Troy tapped the side of his head. "I can hear her thoughts."

Chad let his mouth drop open slightly before he shook his head. "I don't know why I'm surprised." He mumbled to himself.

"I'm going down." Troy said quickly before dropping down to the first floor from the hole in the second. His feet hit the floor with a muffled thud and his legs bent at the knees to absorb the shock. The joints cracked slightly with the effort.

"We'll find another way down!" Taylor yelled over the growing inferno.

Troy nodded and held up his thumb.

It was considerably hotter on the first floor, small fires blazing in the distance. He coughed, waving his hand in front of his face to clear the smoke. The first floor of East High was like an insulator, the smoke and heat having no way to escape except for the small holes in the ceiling.

"Gabriella!" Nothing. **Gabriella!**

**Yes?**

**Can you try to move again?** He asked, still glancing around the smoke covered area.

**I'll try**. She said hesitantly. **But I don't think it'll do much good**.

Her voice radiated throughout his head, groaning and grunting as she tried to move the debris covering her. Troy scanned the surrounding area, looking for the slightest shift. There was movement to his right and he started removing drywall and steel support beams.

**Gabriella?** He called frantically. **Are you under all of this?**

"Finally," her scratchy voice met his ears and he smiled, moving faster. He pulled a rather large piece of drywall and met her face. "What took you so long?"

"I could just leave you under there." He smiled back.

"You wouldn't," she challenged, eyes narrowing. There was a small cut on the side of her cheek, dribbling blood.

He stared at her for a moment, taking in her face and deep chocolate eyes. Finally, he sighed and shook his head. "You're right, I wouldn't." he pushed off more drywall and she tried to get to her feet.

"Shit," she cursed under her breath, collapsing back to the floor.

He knelt down next to her. "What?" His eyes scanned her face. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"My back," she gasped, "it hurts so much."

Confusion clouded his face as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her up and out. She whimpered slightly and he rested her on the floor. "Where on your ba—?" He pulled his hands away and his mouth crashed open.

Red liquid covered his hands. "He shot you." Troy growled darkly, rolling her over. There was a small hole in her lower back. The wound was still dripping blood slightly, but it looked to be healing at an incredible rate. He clenched his jaw and glanced around quickly. "I have to get you out of here."

"That's a really good idea, Wildcat." She grabbed his shoulders. "Stand up."

"I can carry you." He protested.

She smiled at him. "I can manage, don't worry."

He sighed. There was no use in arguing with her, he knew that. Standing up, he pulled Gabriella up with him. A grimace crossed her face but she didn't say anything. He draped one of her arms over his shoulder and looked around.

"Which way?"

"I don't know," Gabriella admitted. "You'd think we'd know how to navigate our own school."

"You'd think," Troy agreed. "But I have no idea where we are."

"We dropped from the science hallway upstairs right?" Gabriella thought out loud. "So that would put us in the Art department. We could go right—" She looked to the right, but the hallway was covered in flames. "Or not."

"I don't care which way we go, we just need to get out. This place is burning fast."

Gabriella nodded and Troy turned to the left, taking a step.

A warning shot up his spine and he snapped his head up. The ceiling above him creaked and moaned and he could see cracks forming. "Shit!" His hold tightened around Gabriella and he started to run, well, he tried to run. Carrying Gabriella, with all the smoke and heat, was a difficult task.

The ceiling and walls were caving in, the flames finally taking its toll on the buildings support. The school was collapsing around him. Bricks and melted metal slammed to the ground just behind him.

"Faster Troy, faster!" Gabriella encouraged from beside him and he could feel trying to run.

"You know back when I said 'once a wildcat, always a wildcat'," he yelled beside her, trying to find humor in the fact that their beloved school was closing in around them, "I didn't mean it quite like this!"

"Not funny Troy!" Gabriella snapped.

As he staggered down the hallway, Gabriella in tow, building falling apart behind them, he realized that nothing worked right. His legs felt like jello, his lungs burned for oxygen that he couldn't finding in the smoke saturated air. His body ached and his head was starting to swim.

The ceiling collapsed in front of them and Gabriella screamed. He tried to stop but his legs gave out and they crashed to the floor together. Gabriella's hand tightened around his and he looked to her face quickly. Her chocolate eyes were wide and she was staring past his shoulder.

He turned slowly and found that the wall was falling slowly towards them. He tried to move, but his body didn't respond. He tried to push Gabriella farther away from him, but she wouldn't budge.

He closed his eyes and waited for the darkness.

It didn't come.

He opened one of his blue eyes hesitantly, only to find Blaine O'Connell standing over him. The older Walker grunted and his body sagged with the weight of the concrete wall.

"Blaine?" Troy stuttered in surprise.

"Get out of here, Troy." The raven haired man whispered in a strained voice, his knees sagging lower.

Gabriella came crawling over, getting to her knees and put her hands on either side of her cousin's head. She pushed up slightly, but pain flared in her back and she dropped back down to her knees.

"Please, Gabriella, just get out of here." Blaine begged softly.

"Shut up." She growled, trying to push on the wall again.

"Dammit, Gabriella!" He snapped. "Get the hell out of here!"

"I'm not leaving you!" She yelled in his face. Then, her eyes softened and she locked with his eyes. "Please, Blaine, let me help you. I can help you."

Her cousin gave a sad smile. "After everything I've done to you, cuz, you still want to help me?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You are something."

"Plea—" Gabriella began but one side of the ceiling collapsed and added more weight to the already tremendous load on Blaine's back. He sank further to the ground, his teeth grinding together with the effort, veins in his neck popping out.

"Get out." He said more sternly, but Gabriella's eyes hardened and she locked her jaw, her hands returning to the bricks on her cousins back.

Blaine, knowing that it was useless to try and sway Gabriella's mind, turned to Troy. "Please, Troy, get her out of here."

"We can help you." Troy echoed his girlfriend's words.

Blaine shook his head, coughing on the smoke that had grown thicker in the confined hallway. "You can't. Please, brother, get the woman you love out of here."

The word 'brother' came from so far out of left field that Troy stopped breathing for a second. He froze and just stared at the emerald eyed man in front of him. A silent understanding passed between the two and Troy finally nodded slightly, the tears slipping from his eyes drying halfway down his cheek.

"Gabriella…" Troy reached for her arm but she pulled it away.

"No!" She snapped. "I can help him. I can lift this. I just need more time."

"Baby cousin, you don't have time." His voice was low, strained, but he sounded content. "Please let me find peace in life by doing this one last thing for you."

Gabriella shook her head, tears falling from her eyes.

Blaine turned to Troy and gave him pleading look.

Troy locked his jaw and wrapped his arms around Gabriella, pulling her away. She didn't protest, only started to cry harder. "Come on, baby." He whispered softly in her ear. "We need to get out of here."

"Wait," Troy turned and Blaine, despite his situation, despite what was going to happen to him, he smiled. "Troy, I want you to have something. It's in my right pocket."

Confusion clouded troy's face but he stepped forward and dug into Blaine's jacket pocket.

He withdrew car keys.

"No way," he whispered, eyes going to the Walker. "I can't take this, Blaine. I can't."

Blaine laughed a kind of sad, humorous, laugh. "Why not? It's not like I can use it where I'm going."

"But Blaine," Troy made a face. "This is your car."

"It's not mine anymore." Blaine said and Troy could swear that he was smiling. "Now get the hell out of here." He nodded his head towards a hallway. "Oh, and Gabriella, for what it's worth, I'm sorry."

She shook her head helplessly. "You don't have to be."

Blaine inclined his head, like her forgiveness had washed everything from him. "Goodbye."

**-XxX-**

Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez emerged from the smoldering East High minutes later. Waiting paramedics swarmed them with oxygen masks and fire blankets. Taylor came next, and Gabriella almost preferred the fire to her best friends vice like hugs.

"Ohmygod, Gabriella! I thought we were going to lose you!" The African-American pulled away and her eyes sharpened. "Don't you dare do that again! Do you hear me Gabriella? You damn near gave me a heart attack!"

"Taylor, your elbow is digging into one of my broken ribs," Gabriella gasped.

Sheepishly, Taylor pulled away and returned to a safe breathing distance as Gabriella was dragged onto a gurney, protesting all the while.

"I'm fine," she growled in annoyance. "All this is unnecessary."

"_Gabriella_!!"

"Oh, no," Gabriella smacked a hand to her forehead and rolled her eyes. "Just when I think it can't get any worse…"

Troy cracked a crooked smile and Chad shrank back slightly, hiding behind Taylor's back. "I was wondering when he was going to show up."

Alexander Montez came sprinting over, his hands automatically going to his daughters ash covered face. "Baby, are you okay? Wait," he held up a hand, "don't answer that." The father turned swiftly to the paramedic rolling the gurney. "How is she?"

The paramedic froze for a moment, taking in the sight of Alexander Montez and how he radiated authority and figured it wasn't smart to keep the man waiting. "Well, sir. She has a couple of broken ribs and she's complaining of a slight headache and memory loss, which are the signs of a concussion. Not to mention she has major smoke inhalation." He paused to take a breath. "She also has a minor gunshot wound to the lower back, but it—"

"Gunshot wound!" Alex looked murderous. "Minor!" he locked his jaw and his eyes glared daggers. "I'm sorry young man, but I don't usually affiliate the word 'minor' with a 'gunshot wound'!"

Gabriella covered her face in her hands as the paramedic rolled the gurney into the back of the ambulance. With Alexander Montez still asking questions, the paramedic handed Troy and oxygen mask and instructed him to stay with Gabriella while he went and talked with the local police department about other students needing treatment. Alex followed him.

Chad poked his head out from behind Taylor. "Is this a bad time to tell you that your father scares the shit out of me, Gabriella?"

Sharpay nodded her head. "I normally don't admit this very often, but that man is terrifying." She paused and glanced to Gabriella. "There is no way that he's your father."

Gabriella sighed and found Rhyan and Reid on the other side of the parking lot, talking with the Walker's that were a part of the local police department and firefighters. Finally, her eyes fell on the still blazing East High. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, I guess it's safe to say schools out for the summer." The group turned to him and he ducked his head back behind Taylor's shoulder. "You're right, bad time to joke. Sorry."

Sharpay crossed her arms. "She's right. What _are_ we going to do?" She paused and her eyes light up like she's just remembered something very important. She suddenly whirled to Troy and Gabriella. "We could talk." She said flatly.

"Talk?" Troy cocked his head to the side.

"Yes, talk." Sharpay confirmed.

"About"

"About what you've gotten yourself into lately."

"Oh," Troy's mouth dropped open slightly. "Yeah, umm, maybe another time, Shar. It's too hot right now."

"Hot?" Sharpay asked pointedly. "Is that another attempt at a bad joke, Bolton?"

"No, no," Troy stuttered. "To hot. Like, there are too many people around to talk about such a sensitive subject. It's too hot."

Sharpay nodded her head slowly. "Right." She eyed the blue eyed teen like he'd grown another head. "Well, I'm going to go find Ryan before my IQ hits bottom. See you later Wildcats."

When Sharpay was a good distance away, Taylor gave a tasteless grunt and crossed her arms. "What IQ?"

Troy smiled and turned to look at Gabriella, whose eyes were still locked on the burning East High.

"I could have saved him," she mumbled so that only he could hear. "I could have."

He turned his blue eyes to her and found that silent tears were slipping from the corners of her eyes. He sighed and leaned forward, his thumbs wiping the wetness away. She looked to him and he gave her a sad smile. "Baby, even you're not good enough to save someone who doesn't want to be saved."

**.-.-.- Insert Sad Music -.-.-.**


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